When the Snow Falls
by RiverTear980
Summary: Akane is a girl from an abusive home. When she finally breaks out, fate brings her to a young man named Ryou Bakura. But when secrets from millenia ago emerge, how will she be able to cope? RyouxOC, minor BakuraxOC Rated for language, smut, etc.
1. Chapter 1: Life and Death

**Riv: Thanks for clicking the button that lead you here! This is my very first fic, and...yeah!**

**Ryou: RiverTear980 doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh in any way, shape, or form. Much like the state of her soul.**

**Riv: Shush you! Anyway, enjoy!**

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><p><em><strong>When the Snow Falls: chapter 1<strong>_

_**Life or Death**_

_Cold. The frigid abyss of the underground. This has become a simple reality for me; no choice was ever given. How does one possibly have a chance of sanity in midst of insanity?_

I awoke in a troubled mind. My dreams haunted me with a strange sensation that night. Warmth, soothing feelings, yet dangerous emotions threatened to engulf them. As my mind brought me slowly back to reality, my heart was shadowed by my surroundings. All around me rested an eternal hell: a dungeon in civilization. There was no possibility of escape from here though. This was my steadfast fate.

A shout from above broke the chilling silence.

"Hey, Akane! Get the hell up 'ere and make me some bloody coffee!"

I sighed in despair. That was the voice of my tormentor: my father. Ever since I could remember, he had always been there for the reason of causing misery and anguish follows his footsteps. It was by his will that I was living in the basement, and didn't have any friends. After the death of my mother, we were left alone. Father never learned how to cope, so I always knew why he was so cruel, but the extent of his madness exceeded logic. One thing that I knew for certain was that he was unstable. His demands had to be met, or who knows what could happen.

"Alright, father. I'm coming." I called up to him.

"Well would ya hurry the fuck up? I'm friggin' waiting for ya here! Thirsty, too!" He scowled. "D'ya really think I have the patience for ya to get your ass up here? I ain't gonna live forever, you know!"

'…And thank god for that.' I thought to myself.

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><p>As I progressed up the winding staircase, the stench of rancid beer and garbage grew ever more obvious. It was, unfortunately, a smell that I had to have gotten used to. I gently pushed the door to the main floor open, and directly in front of me was my father; his red, bloodshot eyes penetrating forcefully into my mind.<p>

His chin was an unshaven mess, stubble pointing out in everywhich way. His clothes; which consisted of a once-white t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans, had probably not been washed, or even removed for that matter, for weeks. All of these properties overwhelmed my senses. In spite of my mind screaming for discretion from him, I dared not look away from him.

He was the first to speak, ending the silence between us.

"You're late, you whore!" The reek of alcohol fumed from his breath with every word. "I called you up two fucking hours ago to make me breakfast! What the hell were you doin' down there?" His voice escalated to a shout, his boisterous attitude left me quivering, like the calm before the storm.

His voice suddenly turned cold and teasing, his facial expression mirroring thus. "You….you have a man down in the basement with you, doncha? That's where you've been…huh?"

He had always been delusional; even before mom died. Father was always paranoid about every neighbor, every man that came by walking his dog, and every paper-carrier that dropped off the daily news. However, today was different. I don't know why, but everything was odd today.

I furrowed my face in confusion.

"Father, it has been under five minutes since I was told to come upstairs. Besides, I-"

"I don't wanna fuckin' hear it! You're just like your mother! That slut ran off with some other man an' left me to raise you all by myself! If I could just get my hands on her, I'd…..I would definitely….."

There was a strange shadow emerging in his eyes; one I had never seen before. It was like there was a small demon sitting on his shoulder, telling him all of the secrets and wonders of the world and how to destroy them. I have to say, the sight terrified me. He fixated his focus back to me and with a bloodcurdling expression on his face, he started muttering absently,

"Just like her mother…. That broad is just like her fucking mother…."

At this point, I began to sort out the possible outcomes of my situation. Would he beat me again? Or would I be locked back up in the basement without any food or water for another week…? All of a sudden, while I was contemplating my odds, Father pushed me vehemently against the basement door, slamming it shut. My body twitched violently as I felt his tongue, poisoned by years of hate and distressful memories, running along the nape of my neck; all the while whispering my mother's name: "Amami…. Amami…."

Fear and distress were beginning to overwhelm my mind. I could feel my father's rugged hands creep up and around my body.

"No!... You-you can't! This is-" I tried to get him off of me, but the more I struggled and resisted, the more forcefully he continued.

My clothes were beginning to be torn off. My thin T-shirt and skirt, the only valid pieces of clothing I had, save my school uniform, were being destroyed. I knew what was coming next: my father would rape me, then likely kill me; as his "vengeance" to his departed wife.

I blacked out that very instant.

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><p>When I came to, everything felt even more out of place than earlier that morning. Noticing my location, it quite differed from my usual surroundings of a dark cellar with a rusting water heater and an old blanket: I was shrouded in the pale light of a chilled November sunrise.<p>

My head was aching something terrible as the light streamed through the open window. I covered my grey smoky eyes to keep the sunlight from penetrating more of my mind. Standing up slowly, blood rushed to my brain, making me feel faint.

Searching my surroundings further in curiosity, I was horrified at what I saw: my father, hanging from the ceiling not far from where I was laying previously. His eyes and tongue bulged out of his face; glazed over from time. Near the noose wrapped tightly around his neck, I noticed it was made of the electrical wires and telephone cords he tended to rip out of the wall when he was angry. They now tore his throat and blood vessels open with deep lacerations that drenched him in blood. Taken aback from this sight, I didn't know what to do. As if by pure instinct, I dropped to my knees and cried.

After what seemed to be an eternity I lifted myself off the bloodstained floor and examined myself for injury. I could not feel any pain, but that wasn't conclusive enough for me. There were a couple of cuts and bruises on my arms, but those had been there since the previous week. However, I was more concerned with what had happened when I was knocked out. Looking down awkwardly, I sighed in relief. Despite the rest of my clothing being torn beyond repair, my panties were untouched.

_I'm still a virgin…thank god…_

Just knowing that made the entire experience a little less terrifying. Should they have not, I think I would have chosen the same fate as my now late father.

_I'm free: free to leave this place, live as a human being rather than a slave or prisoner._

Standing, I went to rummage the house for anything I could use in my future: starting with some clothes in better condition. I started in my father's bedroom. I knew he still kept all of Mother's old clothing, so that would be my best bet. As I entered his room, all of my cells screamed for me to refrain, but my heart and mind told them to be calm. I was still trembling in fear, however, when I turned the doorknob.

Silently opening the dark wooden door, I was appalled to find the room completely organized.

_He kept this place clean but couldn't bother to deal with the rest of the hell-hole? Are you kidding me?_

I saw the closet immediately, and dashed up to the sliding doors. Opening them apprehensively, as my subconscious was still running wild; I saw piles of dirty clothing everywhere. The putrid stench of the filth was overwhelming my senses. I had to continue though. It was my own choice. At the very back of the area was a cardboard box that read "_Amami_". I reached for it, but fell short and lost my balance: right into the heaps. I gagged at the stench, but continued to grab the box. As soon as I had it, I dashed out of the closet and into the bedroom, and sat down on the floor. I fished out a red blouse and black jeans, and put them on. A perfect fit. Sighing, I thought to myself,

_I'm such a terrible daughter… Stealing and leaving my father to rot…as much as he deserved it, this is almost too much…_

I knew I couldn't wait around for much longer. In South Domino, there were strange people everywhere, and it wasn't safe. Leaving father's bedroom, I walked slowly towards the front door. I took one last look around, and left forever.

**A/N: Mwahahaha! BTW: the "south Domino" is from Fiver's "Homecoming" Don't flame me, I credit!**

**Ryou: Hey, where am I?**

**Riv: Be patient! *evil smirk***

**Ryou: ehhh... *runs away* **

**Riv: NOES! *lassos Ryou back* I win! Be sure to review! I need tips on how to improve my writing! I also take requests for plot devices if you want to send 'em! As long as Yami Bakura doesn't eat it again, real CANADIAN maple syrup and homemade pancakes to everyone who reviews!**

**Bakura: I make no promises, mortal.**


	2. Chapter 2: Entrance

_**When the Snow Falls: chapter 2**_

_**Entrance**_

I was surprised y the solemn chill in the autumn air. It felt still: silence hung in the air like particulates in water. I couldn't care less though: the sheer beauty of the outside was fascinating. I had not been permitted to leave the house for weeks, and now I was free to absorb all that nature had to offer. Leaves fell without stopping, fluttering down from the endless blue sky. And oh!, the colors of the leaves! Vivid oranges, yellows and reds!

But even among all this amazement, I could not help but feel remorseful for the death and abandonment of my father. He was still hanging from the ceiling in the living room. I turned back to my house. The front lawn was overgrown and full of weeds, and the house itself was beginning to fall apart. All of a sudden, I felt strange. My head was aching, and I felt like I was experiencing a rush of nostalgia, but it was different than what I had expected. All of the memories inside my consciousness were fleeting. Wandering around in a now maniacal daze, all I thought to myself was,

'_Where am I? What am I doing outside? Daddy didn't let me go outside, he said that I wasn't allowed to go to school anymore…He's going to hurt me again! No!'_

My panic attack escalated, and I passed out in fright as the millions of tiny colored leaves continued falling around me.

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><p><em>Darkness. The soft, familiar feel of the night consumed me like rain falling on an ocean: you couldn't even tell that there was rain to begin with; it was all a massive pool of water. The sound of rain rapped against the walls and windows of my soul in a dream-like state. Was I in the basement again? No. There was something profoundly different about this time: I wasn't alone.<em>

_The darkness parted into shards as a bright light appeared out of nowhere. I could feel pressure around my body; cold but alive. I couldn't move, couldn't speak; I was just _there_. I knew I was unconscious, but someone else was with me…no. There was more than one person… Who are they? Why are they here?_

Beep. Beep. Beep. All I could hear was the high pitched squeal of machinery. As my eyes were forced open by willpower, I realized that I had no idea where I was. This wasn't home, nor was it my school. In confusion, I attempted to sit up. My body was weak, so I fell back onto the surface I was originally laying on. Then, I heard a voice coming from beside me.

"Oh, you're awake! Thank goodness!"

I looked over, and lo and behold, a boy approximately my age was there. He had illuminating brown eyes, long white hair, and the palest skin I had ever seen in my life. I didn't know if I could trust him though. I felt a strange presence emanating from within him; a collection of malignant emotions concentrated in one place. But above that aura was one of kindness and strength, but still shadowed heavily by sorrow and despair.

I blinked a couple of times to try and clear the blur that I was still seeing and feeling.

"Who…are you? And where am I?" I asked hazily.

The boy smiled at me, and responded,

"I found you on the street in town, and I didn't know what to do, so I brought you to the hospital. Are you feeling alright?"

"Something like that isn't going to bring me down for long… But that still doesn't answer my first question: who are you, what is your name?" I smirked. I tried to sit up again so I wasn't talking to him from below, but I got dizzy again and nearly fell. He grasped be from behind my back and helped me stay upright. The boy chuckled to himself; at me most likely, but I wasn't in the mood to fight back.

"Ryou. My name is Ryou. And you, Miss Red-Hair? What's your name?"

_Jeez. He did _not_ just call me that._

"Akane. Izumi Akane."

Ryou tilted his head slightly before responding. "Izumi Akane…crimson red fountain: such a fitting name, considering your hair color."

I blushed slightly. While I did appreciate the apparent compliment, I was always self-conscious of my hair. It was a deep red, like the color of blood. It wasn't dyed red, it was natural; despite being Japanese. Oh well, not much you can do about something like that.

I returned my attention back to the surroundings. I was in a hospital, obviously, and it was nighttime. Rain was falling hard and heavy on the window, and the room was empty other than the two of us. I took this time to examine Ryou. He was a smaller boy, but seemed to be my age. He had long white hair, incredibly pale skin, deep brown eyes, and wasn't exactly what one would call manly with his lithe form, but he didn't seem to notice much. The one thing that struck me as odd with him was a strange pendant that hung from his neck. It was a circle with a triangle in the middle; and it had an Egyptian eye on the center. Attached to the outer part of the pendant were 5 large pointed pins. And for a reason I could not immediately explain, something felt off about it, as if it was hiding a secret.

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><p><strong>AN: **

**Riv: Hurray! I finally updated it! I had meant to do it much sooner, but my computer is being not particularly kind to me. Stupid modern technology .**

**Ryou: Yay! I'm in this chapter! And I got to rescue a really hot girl!**

**Akane: I heard that, you perv.**

**Riv: …. You guys are crazy…**

**Akane: No, the crazy one is you. You quote **_**everything**_** fool!**

**Riv: *writes***

**Akane: What are you- * disappears***

**Riv: I wrote you out of the story.**

**Bakura: But she's the main character…**

**Riv: FINE! *writes* *Akane reappears* NOW DISCLAIM SO I CAN TELL THEM TO REVIEW IN ORDER TO RECEIVE ONE FREE BOTTLE OF HOMEMADE VODKA!**

**Ryou: What the hell?**

**Riv: *death stare***

**Ryou: O.O RiverTear980 owns nothing! Including a soul!**

**Riv: That's better, Ryou. **


	3. Chapter 3: Tears

**When the Snow Falls: chapter 3**

**Tears**

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><p>That night was the first that I had ever spent outside of the house. If I even tried, Father would scream and beat me for hours on end. Although he couldn't now, I still had a feeling in my gut that he would come bursting through the hospital doors, throw Ryou across the room, and call me a whore while hitting me. Then, at each mental mention of my father, I saw his body, and tears accumulated in my eyes. I pushed my hands onto my face, not wanting Ryou to see me crying. I had never let <em>anyone<em> see me cry before, and I wasn't about to start now. Unfortunately, my guise was easily seen through.

"Akane-san, are you alright?" Ryou asked me with all the gentleness in the world.

"I-um. I-It's sort of..." I stuttered between sobs.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I couldn't bear to recollect all of the things that _he_ had done since I could remember. I knew I wanted to tell Ryou everything; I felt that I could trust him, but I still didn't want to involve him in what had happened. My smoke gray eyes met his, and I shook my head.

"No. Maybe some other time, but...not right now..." I muttered quietly.

Ryou blinked in understanding and leaned back in his chair. "I know first-hand that there are some skeletons that don't want to be unveiled. Don't worry too much about it." There was a brief pause. "So you live in South Domino? It's the rough part of town, isn't it?"

I flicked my face towards the window, raindrops still pounding against the glass.

"Not anymore. I never want to go back to that place ever again."

"Where are you going to live though?" Ryou responded smartly.

...Damn. I hadn't thought of that. He did make a good point: I had nowhere to live, no relatives to ask for help from, and definitely no money. Furrowing my eyebrows, I let out a soft growling sound from the back of my throat.

Ryou chuckled at my obvious frustration. "Would you like to stay with me then?"

I was not expecting that. I was a complete stranger to him, but he was inviting me into his home to live.

"I know we haven't known each other for very long, but I want to be able to help you. I can sense that you have a very kind soul." His pale face flustered as he spoke. I put my hand on his and grasped it endearingly.

"I-I would like that. As long as I'm not a burden for you, I can stay."

Ryou's eyes brightened and revived their happy shine. The hesitation was gone now, and all that remained was his smile.

When the doctors released me from the hospital the following morning, Ryou appeared to be clouded with apprehension.

"Are you sure about this? It's fine if you want to go back to your house."

I bored my eyes into his with just the right amount of intensity.

"No, I really don't want to be reminded of things that happened there. I want to stay with you because, well, you're the only person that has ever offered me a chance to get away from there. I'm really happy and grateful for that..."

Ryou smiled."Well, if you're happy, then I'm happy too."

_Why was he being so nice to me? We hardly know each other... I guess that's just who he is..._

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><p>As we were walking through the streets of Domino, Ryou started telling me more about himself.<p>

"A couple years back, my sister and mother died in a car crash, and I don't even know whether or not my father is alive or dead... So I think I know how you feel; you know, lonely..." I stared with shock. _I never told him anything about myself other than my name! How could he possibly know that I've been alone? _Sensing my confusion, Ryou looked back at me, and smiled nervously. "I got the feeling that you were alone for most of the time because you made no attempt to contact anyone else and nobody was around you when you passed out, so it's just a matter of deduction on my part..."

"So, you've been alone too... It must be difficult sometimes, huh?"

"Yes, I must say it got almost unbearable when it was just me and my shadow..."

_What a strange choice of words..._ "Shadow?" I questioned jokingly. "You shouldn't need to depend on your shadow for company."

Ryou looked back at me with a melancholy face. "Sometimes that's all that you have, though."

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><p>It took us nearly an hour to walk from the hospital to Ryou's apartment. <em>Curious. Why was he so far from his home for a reason he can't even remember? <em>Even though I knew it wasn't that important to ask, it still was a strange coincidence. He had saved my life, given me a place to live; I felt it wasn't a good thing to question the logistics of the situation. _I have to take things as they happen, I guess..._

We stopped in front of a small apartment building. The outside walls were pale beige stucco and it had the feeling of all mundane high-rise: complete indifference to anyone else. But there was a sense of a home emanating from this one, which I found comforting. Ryou peered over his shoulder towards me and smiled.

"This is it, Akane-san. It's not much, but its home."

I admired the building for a while without saying anything. Sure, it wasn't an architectural masterpiece, but it was beautiful in its own way.

"...Akane-san? Are you ok?"

_Alrighty, Akane. Get back to reality, would you? _I flinched in surprise as he called my name. I still wasn't used to anyone call my name with such a proper honorific. _Oh well, get used to it._

"Y-yes, I'm alright. Let's go inside; the sun is starting to set.

We continued up the stairs to room 601: Ryou's place. As he opened the door, I felt a strange sensation pulse through my body. It was a feeling of confinement, misery, anger, hatred, but above all: solitude. I couldn't believe that Ryou would think of these emotions while he was alone in his house. _Weird..._

The whitette was obviously extremely perceptive to others, and turned his face to speak with me.

"Hey, Akane-san, there's something I want to-"

He was cut short; before he could finish his sentence, his facial expression turned from curiosity to horror. His body crumpled to the floor fast, curled into a ball and clutched his head in frustration. Along with this, the strange pendant he always wore looked like it was...shining?

"Ryou-kun? Ryou-kun? Are you alright? What's the matter?" I asked frantically. _An allergic reaction? No, I don't think he's eaten or drunk anything since I met him, and there aren't any strange insects flying around. What could this possibly be?_

"N-no!" My attention was diverted from my thoughts and back to Ryou. "I won't...let you hurt her!" _What? _He continued after a slight pause. Tears were now falling down his cheeks. _Why is he crying? _"Stop laughing at me! You're th-the one who-You told me to... Why-" He was immediately hushed.

"Ryou! Who are you talking to? What's going on?"

"**I did it because **_**I**_** felt like feeling some blood in between your fingers, Yadonushi." **Ryou's voice had changed. It was deeper, more menacing. He stopped twitching on the floor, and got up with ease.

"...Ryou...kun?"

He looked up towards me, and I noticed there was something different about him. His hair was spiked out more, he was taller, and his eyes were slanted and a terrifying blood-red color. He put one hand on his hip and leaned to the side, giving me an arrogant smirk.

"**So, we finally meet, face to face. I hope you appreciate the little...**_**gift**_** I gave you back at your house."**

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><p><strong>AN: Duhn duhn DAAA! ! Enter Yami Bakura! **

**Bakura: Hurray! About friggin' time, it's the end of the third chapter!**

**Riv: You have no patience whatsoever, do you...?**

**Ryou: RiverTear980 owns absolutely nothing. Yu-Gi-Oh is the proud creation of Kazuki Takahashi. She does not claim to own it in any way, shape, or form. She still doesn't-**

**Riv: YES! I did get one. I am now the happy owner... OF A FISH!**

**Ryou: *sigh* she still doesn't own a soul.**

**Riv: His name is Bowser, and he's purple, and he's my guard fish! I love my little guard fishie!**

**Akefia: *appears* ...Wait, why the hell am I here?**

**Riv: I wanted a Bakura harem.**

**Bakura: O.O**

**Ryou: O.O**

**Akefia: O.O**

**Riv: ... Review? The prize this time is your very own harem of your choice. **

**Thanks to Owl-Lady, clarissazeniarosele and Mairorah for reviewing ^^ Im going to start doing this... I always feel warm and fuzzy whenever I review someone's work and it shows up in the story lol**


	4. Chapter 4: Truth, part 1

**Hey everyone, I-**

***rotting fruit thrown***

**Sorry. I haven't been able to update (desu!). I've had these really bitchy things called "International Baccalaureate Examinations", or as I like to call them: "The Devil Throwing Up on Paper" So I've been studying my ass off these past few weeks. First off, let me personally thank Destiny Xavier16, Mairorah, and kurinki for their reviews. Kurinki gets a Malik/Marik harem, and since the other two didn't mention who they wanted, Destiny Xavier16 gets a Yugi/Yami/Atem harem, and Mairorah gets a Kaiba harem.**

**Ryou: What about Bakura, Akefia and I?**

**Riv: You're already mine ^0^**

**Ryou, Bakura & Akefia: O.O'**

**Riv: ...ahem. **

**Ryou: *sigh* RiverTear980 owns nothing. **

**Riv: Good boy. Have a cookie **

**Ryou: O.o is it poisoned?**

**Riv: Have they ever been poisoned?**

**Ryou: ...No. YAY COOKIE! :D**

**When the Snow Falls: chapter 4**

**Truth: part 1**

I stared up at Ryou as he continued closer to me. His entire aura was different; this was him, yet not. This fear, this was beyond anything that was within comprehension. My entire body trembled as he got closer.

"**Well? Did you like what you saw when you woke up?"**

"W-what the hell Ryou! What's wrong with you?" _I'm so scared that I'm stuttering. Pathetic._

"**I'm afraid your little Ryou-chan is gone for now, wretch. You're left with me."** he snickered. He was directly in front of me now. I could feel the cold aura surrounding him. A cold hand grabbed my jaw and pulled my face towards his. **"Poor little Yadonushi was so very scared when he saw you on the road outside your house. 'Leave her alone' I told him, 'she's only going to give you trouble.'" 'Ryou' grinned sarcastically. "But no, he took you: a random stranger with no home, no family, and nothing to give to either of us; in and now, here we are."**

"Y-Yadonushi? What do you mean, 'landlord'?"

He dropped me suddenly and grunted.

"**Of all the people in the world, I must say you are the stupidest I've ever encountered in 5,000 years. Well, have you ever heard of the Sennen, or Millennium Items, stupid girl?" **

I frowned, both out of defiance and confusion. _What the hell are you talking about, Ryou? Have you officially flown the coop?_

"...The what items?"

He metaphorically face-palmed in exasperation.

"**Woman, you are honestly the most idiotic human I've ever met."** He leaned back down and grabbed me; this time, by my throat. I couldn't breathe, and I subconsciously made a strange wheezing sound through my windpipe. **"Yadonushi-Ryou and I are tied together. Our souls are both within his body. I am the Spirit of the Millennium Ring."**

_He's going to kill me, probably..._

"So what's your name, Mr. Spirit of the Millennium Ring?" I taunted through my wheezes.

He didn't answer for a moment.

"**Bakura."** He kept his response short and sweet, then went back to strangling me. Great.

_Damn, what do I do? _I thought. _I don't want to make too much noise and get attention from the other people living around here, but how am I going to get out of this...?_

And then it hit me. An idea, that is. I shot my foot out, kicking Bakura right where it hurts the most. You guessed it: right in the crotch. He keeled over and flung me ungracefully against the wall on the opposite side of the room. It took me a bit of time to regain myself, but at least I managed to recover faster than he did.

"**Fuck you, you little bitch... You'll pay dearly for that." **he snarled.

_Crap. That sure worked. I just made him angrier. New plan? _Now was as good as any other time to panic. I made a mad dash to the kitchenette. I had to find a way to at least protect myself. I turned to my right, and lo and behold, the perfect defence: a frying pan. Not the best thing I could have asked for, but at least it was something. Bakura approached the opening to the room, and he was coming fast. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes... and hit Bakura over the head with the pan. He fell with a thud, and didn't move, nor speak.

_Oh shit. I didn't hit him _that_ hard, did I?_

**A/N**

**Part 2 will be up shortly. I swear. **

**Bakura: WTF AKANE?**

**Akane: You deserved it, asshole. **

**Ryou: You said it!**

**Riv: Don't be mean, you two. Bakura, come here and let me give you a cookie too. **

**Bakura: Om nom nom nom...**

**Riv: And hey, to all you readers out there, REVIEW DESU REVIEW DESU! There is an analogy that is from starrrrii. And I absolutely love it. And read his/her (I don't know, sorry. Haven't gotten around to that specific profile to creep...)**

**REVIEWS ARE LIKE PORN TO WRITERS, SO SATISFY OUR URGES!**

**...*cough cough* Yeah...**

**Review desu ka?**


	5. Chapter 5: Truth, part 2

**When the Snow Falls: chapter 5**

**Truth, part 2**

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><p>Bakura was unconscious for at least twenty minutes. All through that time, I was freaking out, wondering what I should do. Considering everything that he had said, he was some sort of ghost. A ghost that possessed Ryou. And killed my father for his own amusement. And nearly killed me. <em>Wow, this guy is definitely psycho.<em>

When he finally stirred, his hand twitched, and I nearly jumped out of my skin. My mind was going a million miles a minute, and I was pretty close to losing it. I grabbed the frying pan that was beside me, and clutched it like a life-line. Bakura groaned and pulled his hand to touch the part of his head that I hit. His eyes opened slowly, and I gasped.

"St-stay away from me!"

Bakura looked at me with a pained expression. Something was different about him...again. Then I realized it: his eyes and hair were back to normal! Bakura wasn't in control anymore!

"R-Ryou-kun?"

"Did he hurt you, Akane-san?"

Shaking my head, I replied

"Not really. I hurt him, and you in turn, much worse... I-I'm really sorry..."

Clasping my quivering hands in his own, he delved into my eyes and whispered

"Don't be. This is all my fault. I'm the one that allowed him to take control. I'm the one who lets him do all of the terrible things he does. You probably hate me by now..."

That was just too much. It wasn't his fault in any way! It was Bakura that was the object of my anger. But with Bakura constantly possessing him, I would have been surprised if he _wasn't _having a bit of an identity crisis.

"No Ryou. None of this is your fault... It's just that-" I was interrupted by a strange light. It was emanating from the Millennium Ring; the strange pendant hanging from around Ryou's neck! He started snickering.

"What an incredibly naive girl..." The voice was low and husky. Familiar to boot.

"Bakura! What did you do!"

"What did _I_ do? _You_ beat me over the head with a pan. We're just taking a little trip to talk. You know, wandering souls, reincarnations; the fun stuff."

A black cloud descended from behind the spirit. The room got cold, and everything changed. Furniture was covered by darkness, and the space became completely foreign.

"W-what the hell?"

"Welcome, my dear, to the Shadow Realm."

"What? Holy shit, what did you do?"

Bakura did his classic smirk. "Well I figured that it's going to get rather loud in here, so I didn't want to raise attention. This, however, is a _perfect_ place where I can conduct my business." He pulled a rather menacing pocket knife out from his back pocket and pushed it to my throat. His eyes bored into me with a 'what-are-you-going-to-do-now?' glare.

_He's completely serious... damn, damn, damn! What am I going to do? __I have to find a way to protect myself from him somehow! Something..._

As if someone was listening to my thoughts, I felt something cold in my hand. I looked down in utter amazement: there was an old, ornate sword in my hand! I didn't even bother to try to figure out the technicalities of the situation, I just held the blade out in front of me.

Bakura was both shocked and bewildered, but he wouldn't let it show. He smirked, and muttered something inaudible. At this point, I was getting just too annoyed by him.

"Bakura, I swear if you don't tell me what the hell's going on, this sword is going straight through that damn smirk of yours!"

He didn't take kindly to my comment. He laughed in retaliation. It wasn't a 'Haha-I-got-the-joke-and-you-didn't' laugh, but it was more like an 'I-was-right-and-you-have-no-hope-left' laugh. Needless to say, it wasn't that funny.

"I knew it. I _knew_ it. The second I saw you I knew there was something familiar about you. The ability to control physical manifestations within the darkness… what a blast from the past." Bakura was still laughing through his words. I stood silent, completely confused. He began pacing towards me, and quite menacingly at that. Before I had a chance to move, he was already upon me, his fingers like claws digging into my shoulders. I dropped the sword, paralyzed in fear. I was lying on the ground with Bakura suspended over me, completely defenceless. _Not good._ My grey eyes were staring into crimson, completely undisturbed by the surroundings. That didn't last long though.

The silence was broken by a scream. My scream, specifically. A massive pain in my abdomen shook me from head to toe, making me feel like I was being torn to pieces. I looked down rigidly to see the Millennium Ring's needles pierced into by stomach. It was glowing with a beautifully disturbing aura.

"B-Bakura...?"

"Shut up."

"What are you-"

Bakura sighed angrily. "I thought I told you to shut up." He then did something I will never forget for the rest of my life: he pressed his lips to mine and...it was… a kiss?

_WHAAAAATTT? _

Suddenly the searing pain from the Ring was replaced by a strange warmth. The needles were still stuck into me, but for some reason, it didn't hurt anymore. Everything dissolved in my sight, and I faded into a blur of unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>My mind wandered when it was asleep. It delved into my subconscious memories: my childhood, my family and anything else it could explore. But there was one thing that I did not recognize: there was a strange ornate door at the end of a series of smaller doors. As I approached it, I could feel strange energies emanating from it. I knew I couldn't let it alone though; I was completely intrigued. I turned the handle slowly, and pushed the door open, despite the clear resistance it offered.<p>

* * *

><p><em>Sand. Sand from horizon to horizon; and above that was the bluest sky I had ever seen before. It was so beautiful; the absolute silent serenity was soothing to the soul. Pacing aimlessly through the calmly blowing earth, I took to notice something I hadn't before: my usually pale skin was a deep brown, and I was adorned with golden jewellery from head to toe! Ok, now I know this is 100% pure dream.<em>

_A name was called. It wasn't what I knew to be my own, but for some reason, I responded to it as if it was. When I turned to look, I saw a young man; about 20 years old, running towards me. He too had dark skin, but his hair was a surprising jumble of white. A gorgeous red cape fluttered behind him and he was also covered in jewellery. As he got closer, I realized that a terrible laceration ran down the right side of his face, covering his eye and features with a layer of blood._

_My body started moving on its own, pacing towards the mysterious stranger. I felt like I had no control over my body; it was like I was just watching all of these things take place with a first-person view. My hand gently touched his bloodstained cheek. His rough bronze arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me closer to him. I sank right into his embrace, gazing longingly into his blue-purple eyes. _

"_Akefia…" _

_With that little statement, my mind was going crazy_. Akefia? This guy looks so much like Bakura though...? What the bloody hell is going on here?

_Everything suddenly got dark. The only speck of light was in the sky; two blood-red eyes glaring down at the world below. I stared in terror as the thing pounded towards me. Its unearthly howl shook the land and brought down the surrounding pillars. Glaring down at me, it screeched,_

"**You traitor**_!"_

_Within seconds there was a massive ball of fire in the palm of his hand, illuminating its face slightly. It was a grotesque figure: three huge sets of horns protruded from its face, long pointed fang-like teeth, and skin as black as the night. The fire in its grasp was sent flying in my direction. There was no way I would be able to dodge such an attack, so I braced myself for the worst._

_The worst wasn't at all close to the pain that seared through my limbs. I could literally feel my flesh melting off my bones and my blood boiling. I couldn't see, couldn't scream, and I didn't know what to do other than curdle over in pain. _

_Suddenly, a light pair of footsteps started approaching me. I knew these steps: they were Akefia's. I wanted-no, I needed him. _

"A-Akefia_…" I whispered, my wounds tearing my voice to shreds. I tried reaching out for him, but instead of the kindness he shared with me, he stamped on my forearm and snarled._

"_Don't you even _dare_ touch me. I don't need a Pharaoh's spy to be alive."_

_I closed what was left of my eyelids in despair, and everything faded away._

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**Riv: Phew. Finally. That took waaaayyyyy too long to write, even by my standards.**

**Bakura: …did I just….**

**Riv: Yes. You just won a puppy. **

**Bakura: -_-' not exactly what I was getting at….**

**Akane: WTFBBQ KURA? Stabbing people is sooo not cool!**

**Ryou: NOOO! I wanted to be Akane's first kisser in this story! Damn you, Yami-sama!**

**Riv: Ah, that reminds me, the poll to decide Akane's fate is still open! I need all of you great and wonderful people to vote who you want to end up paired with 'Kane-chan. It's between Ryou and Bakura! **

**Akane: Don't call me 'Kane-chan like you know me! **

**Riv: 'Kane-chan, there's something you should know.**

**Akane: What is it Riv?**

**Riv: I came.**

**Akane: O.o**

**Ryou: O.o**

**Bakura: O.o**

**Malik: I walked in at the wrong time, obviously… *backs away slowly***

**Riv: …. MALIK! DISCLAIM!**

**Malik: NO! IT'S TOO SCARY IN THERE!**

**Riv: …. FINE! MARIK!**

**Marik: What the hell do you want?**

**Riv: DISCLAIM!**

**Marik: No, do it yourself.**

**Riv: D: fine. I do not own anything, other than Akane Izumi and the plotline. Yu-Gi-Oh! is owned by the great Kazuki Takahashi, and Yu-Gi-Oh! the Abridged Series is owned by Little Kuriboh-dono. If I owned either of these two, they would be filled with yaoi and lemons out the wazoo. Then again, 4Kids wouldn't even be able to dub it, seeing as it would be nearly 100% smut.**

**Oh yes, ****you can also send me your vote as a review****! I love reviews! If I have ever reviewed any of your work, you will know how much I love reviewing! Getting a review is like a necrophiliac's random dead body. I molest it…Wait. What?**


	6. Chapter 6: Truth, part 3

**Heeeyyyy... I made my deadline... I think I know how manga writers feel about their deadlines: terrible horrible things they are. But now since I made it, I'm allowing myself to read yaoi! Hurray! (If you didn't realize, I'm very hard on myself, and I said that if I didn't make the update by Sunday night (central mountain time or whatever it's called; Alberta, Canada) I wasn't allowed to read any yaoi for the rest of the month. Regardless to say, it proved to be good incentive. It's currently...wait for it... SATURDAY CMT! I AM THE MASTAH!**

**Akane: ...Calm the hell down, crazy woman!**

**Me: Never! Ah, yes. I would like to thank my beautiful and lovely reviewers: Little-Retard, Destiny Xavier16, kurinki, xxpinkblinkxx, Dutch Mew Anzu, Punk Rock Kitsune, Incurably Awesome, and Maiorah! You are sooooo awesome and make me super happy to have started this story! You win Kuribohs! **

**Everyone: YEAS!**

**And to IA, you get several invisible bunnies named Ryou, Bakura, Akefia, Marik, Malik, Seto and Yami!**

**IA: WTF am I going to do with all of these bun- BAKURA STOP MOLESTING SETO! YOU'RE ONLY ALLOWED TO DO THAT WITH RYOU, AKEFIA AND MALIK! **

**Punkie gets her harem**

**PRK: HURRAY! DREAM SEX BECOMES REAL SEX!**

**And to everyone, in addition to Kuribohs, you get hugs from me and the cast, as well as cupcakes!**

***Everyone noms food and hugs the peoples***

**NOW ON TO THE FIC!**

**P.S.: I edited the last chapter due to the fact that I didn't like how I established Amanet's and Akefia's relationship. Also 'cause I wanted to call him Akefia to avoid confusion lol**

* * *

><p>When the Snow Falls, chapter 6<p>

Truth, part 3.

* * *

><p>Everything was dark again. Not only that, everything was silent. It was as if all my senses were put on hold. I tried to stand up from where I was laying, but to no avail. 'So I can't move either...?' I thought. Sighing, I just stayed in the perpetual shadows, just waiting for something; <em>anything<em> to change.

Maybe I shouldn't have thought that.

Almost immediately after thinking that, a great roaring came from the depths of the darkness, twisting and diverging into the area. The pain that had wracked my body until moments ago came back in short bursts, leaving me gasping in pain.

'I have to get out of here. I have no idea what's going on anymore!'

The only thing was: I still couldn't move. I started panicking, and I went straight back to an infantile instinct: screaming for dear life.

"Somebody, anybody! Help!"

I slammed my eyes shut. I didn't want to keep looking at all of these shadows morphing around me. Then, a gust of wind rushed around me and the roaring ceased. I curiously cracked my eyes open to see myself back in the gray swirls of the Shadow Realm. I bolted upwards, somehow able to move again. I clutched at my head and muttered,

"That...was fucked up."

"So, you're finally awake."

The other voice startled me. I turned my head, only to see Bakura staring at me with a condescending smirk. He was standing a couple feet away with his arms crossed and face raised arrogantly. I tried to scoot away, but a blinding pain in my stomach stopped me.

"You might not want to move."

I had to fight past the pain, and I winced as I pulled myself slightly away from him.

"What did you do to me?"

"I did what you told me to."

"Stop being stupid! What did-"

"Five thousand years ago..." he interrupted, "you and I were what one would call 'partners-in-crime'. Until you betrayed me, that is."

I was shocked. 'Five thousand years; is this guy freaking immortal or something? But those visions I saw just now; that guy looked so much like Bakura...'

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!"

Bakura started walking up to me slowly. I wanted to move away, but the injury in my abdomen said otherwise, so I sat there; completely defenseless. "We were so close; _so_ close to achieving our goals. At least that's what it seemed. You...were never on my side, really." At this point Bakura was standing directly in front of me. I could feel his emotions emanating from his body, permeating in waves. "...How much did the Pharaoh pay you? To spy on me for him..."

I couldn't answer him; after all, anything that I could say would be a lie. I stayed silent, staring up into his deep crimson eyes. I needed some sort of clarification on these matters.

"Those visions... The images I saw earlier; what were they?..." Bakura continued staring down at me for a moment, then replied,

"That was a piece of your memory. Memories from when you were mine."

My eyes widened in surprise.

"Y-yours? What do you mean by that? You don't mean to say..."

"Amanet, you are seriously clueless these days." the Yami muttered. "We were childhood friends, closer than anyone else. Towards the end of both our original lives, we were lovers. You really don't remember that time?..."

I could feel my hands tremble despite the present paralysis in my limbs.

_'This can't be. Lovers? And in Ancient Egypt thousands of years ago? This is just getting so far-fetched that I can hardly take this guy seriously anymore! And what was that name: Amanet? It sounds so foreign to me, but at the same time so familiar... What can this mean?'_

Bakura chuckled slightly, and crouched down so his face and mine were at the same level. He grabbed my jaw forcefully and ignored my blatant resistance. His eyes searched mine, looking for some sort of recognition. I got scared, and slammed my eyes shut.

Then something weird happened. Like REALLY weird.

My body went numb again. It wasn't an unfeeling numb, but more like a 'pins-and-needles' numb. In my confusion, my hand reached out and touched Bakura's arm; which was still holding into my jaw. Then, I started speaking in a voice that wasn't my own.

"Akefia..."

Bakura's eyes widened and his mouth went agape.

"Amanet! It's you!"

'I' shook my head.

"I don't have much time. This child is indeed my reincarnation, but she is not _me_ per se. I have to tell you everything now and quickly before the gods realize what I'm doing."

"What do you mean? I still have things I need to finish with you."

"No, you don't. I'll show you."

The spirit moved my hand to the left, right, then both of them to the center; pouring energy into each of the movements. The grey shadows morphed once again, this time showing the endless Egyptian desert.

* * *

><p><em>Two small children were running through the sun-drenched sand. A boy and a girl with white and red hair respectively. <em>

_"Come on, Amanet! We have to get away from there!"_

_The girl seemed to be crying. _

_"Akefia, where's my mommy and daddy? Why aren't they here too? And Eshe, where's your sister?"_

_The boy turned with a look of frustration and despair. _

_"They're dead! They're all dead, and we're the only ones that got out! We'll never see them again and-and..." He turned away from the girl and covered his face with his forearm. He was crying as well now. The girl straightened, and ran up behind the boy and wrapped her arms around his waist. _

_"It'll be ok, Kefia. We'll always be together and I won't ever leave you, alright?" _

_The boy sniffed slightly, and turned to face her._

_"Ok. Let's be together forever."_

* * *

><p>The scenery changed to a city. The sky was blue and cloudless, and the sun was shining bright. In the distance a great palace could be seen, towering over all of the other buildings. A pair of moving figures appeared on the rim of the great wall surrounding the palace. Jumping from the height of it, they fell fast. Thankfully there was a cart of fodder for the royal horses directly beneath. As the figures came into higher visibility, Akefia was recognized, his hair and blood-red cloak fluttering in the wind; and a girl around 16 or 17 wearing a black robe adorned with gold and jewels. Her hair was a deep red color, a lot like mine, and her skin was the same color as the man's beside her.<p>

_"'Kefia, hurry up! The guards will find us!"_

_"D-damnit, Amanet! Wait for a second!"Amanet chuckled for a second, then extended her hand to him. The whitette smirked as he took it, and pulled himself out of the haystack. _

_"Hey, you! Thieves! Stop!" a deep voice shouted behind the two. Glancing back for a second, they nodded to each other, and took off running as fast as horses._

The scenery changed once again, this time to a dark underground cavern. Torches lit the passageways ominously and flickered with each change in the air pressure. As the scene progressed, voices became evident. They started off hushed, but gradually got louder.

_"We can use this girl, Lord Auknadin. She can be our eyes."_

_A loud grunt was heard as chains pulled at the small body, but her verbal response was sharp as a spear. _

_"I'll never agree to do that."_

_The younger man grabbed her face and dug his nails into her tanned skin. _

_"And you need to learn proper respect, wretch! Know your place!"_

_"No. If we want her to cooperate, we need to be slightly less... offensive."_

_The guard grunted, and released the girl. The priest emerged from the shadows and stared into the wounded woman's eyes. _

_"What we need you to do is just watch over your dear Thief King and tell us what he's up to. In exchange, we will grant you full pardon for your sins against the name of the Pharaoh. Would you agree to that?" His voice was quiet, but was filled with overwhelming intensity._

_The woman smirked. _

_"You expect me, his right-hand-man; err, woman, to do something so stupid? The Thief King cannot be predicted. That's why he has never been caught. And I don't care about 'pardons'. I don't need approval from others to be happy!"_

_Auknadin narrowed his eye and brought his wrinkled face closer to hers. She scrunched her nose up in defiance, but the priest did not pay attention. _

_"Guards, unchain her." he commanded. They were reluctant to do so. _

_"But my lord, she's-"_

_"Now!"_

_They jumped at the sudden burst of irritation that the man exuded and unchained her quickly. Backing away, they drowned back into the darkness. _

_"I will expect to see you again with information." he growled. _

_Scoffing, the girl stood up and snarled. Her eyes were shining with annoyance. _

_"Ha, whatever. I'm not going to comply, but I must say; you are quite a great fool for releasing me so easily." She reached into her robe and pulled out a small bundle. Auknadin flinched away as she threw it to the ground releasing a puff of smoke. "This isn't the last you've heard of Amanet, priest!"_

_Outside the prison, a certain thief was standing around nonchalantly. Shifting around in the sand, he sniffed the air. _

_'Smoke?'_

_"Hey Akefia." a light familiar voice rang out from behind him. _

_"A-Amanet! When did you get out?"_

_"Just now. Damned fool actually let me go. He's such an idiot!"_

_Akefia scoffed slightly._

_"They are fools, and their power from the Millennium Items breeds their overconfidence." He started walking in the direction of the setting sun. "So what did he want, anyway?"_

_Amanet hesitated for a moment, then responded,_

_"Nothing. Let's get going quickly." _

_He shrugged in response, then they both turned and walked away into the setting sun._

* * *

><p>As I watched these events take place, I was scared to move a muscle. Bakura was standing beside me, trying to figure out what showing these events meant to the situation as it stood. And from within, I felt a strange power pressing me down. It was a strange sensation, no doubt; but it wasn't a terrible feeling. It was sort of like that dream I had yesterday morning: warm, but mysterious and distant. There was something hidden; as if it was dangerous to be discovered. The scene suddenly morphed again, and my attention was pulled back to it.<p>

* * *

><p><em>The sky was dark, save for the moon and stars that illuminated the world. The sand blew across the desert by the unfeeling gusts of wind that passed it by. From the darkness emerged two horses; one black and the other beige, with Akefia and Amanet on their backs. The two thieves had grins across their faces, toting large sacs behind them. They had just gotten back from a heist in a neighboring village taking their fills of gold, jewels, food and drink. When they were satisfied with their distance, they stopped the horses and jumped off quietly. Amanet broke the silence with a sudden laugh.<em>

_Akefia raised an eyebrow and asked, _

"_What's so funny? Whatever it is, it's put you in a good mood." He then smirked and continued, "Stop it already. It's creeping me out."_

_She tip-toed towards Akefia and looked deep into his purple eyes. _

"_Nothing, I'm just thinking about things." 'And by things, I mean you.' She thought to herself. The female thief had a secret: she was in love. It was something that she was unable to control. One day she just knew that the old friend that she had been with since the massacre in Kul Elna was the man she loved. Amanet was head-over-heels in love with Akefia. _

"_What kind of things? You are aware that you're still able to tell me anything."_

_Amanet whipped around trying to hide the blush rolling across her face. _

"_I-it's nothing! Nothing at all actually."_

_The Thief King meandered around to face her. As she was about to turn around to avoid looking into his eyes again, she was stopped by a sudden embrace. The redhead froze, not knowing what to do. This was the kind of contact her heart yearned for, but now that it happened she was unable to wrap her mind around it._

_"Umm, Akefia?" She whispered. _

_"Amanet, you are so easy to read. I've known for a long time." his voice was quiet; uncharacteristic of him, but it was as low and seductive as it always was. "I love you too. I've loved you for such a long time that I don't even remember when it started."_

_Her previously tensed shoulders relaxed, and she sank into the Thief King's embrace. As she nuzzled into him, she whispered _

_"I never want to forget this. I don't want to leave any of these memories behind."Akefia gazed down into her grey and red eyes. Reaching into his robe, he pulled out one if his spoils; the Millennium Ring. Amanet was shocked by its presence. _

_"Isn't that the-"_

_"Yes. One of the Pharaoh's priests, the one named Mahad, was in possession of this. But I defeated him in a Shadow Game, and now I have one of the items that our village was sacrificed for. This one, the Millennium Ring, is used mostly for soul manipulation. I can use it to hold your memories so that after death, you can still remember things like these."_

_Amanet stared at Bakura, contemplating his offer. After a moment, she nodded silently and added,_

_"I'd like that... If I ever forget any of this, I want you to use that ring to remind me, alright?"_

_Akefia broke the embrace for a moment to slip the cord of the ring around his neck. He approached Amanet again, this time gently grasping her jaw, and pulling their lips together. His lips were rough; not uncommon for people who lived in the unforgiving desert, but they kissed her with such passion, such emotion, that Amanet didn't even notice, and almost lost her balance as they kissed under the open moonlight. She did lose balance, however, when the needles if the ring were driven into her body. She resisted the urge to scream, but the pain was almost overwhelming. Akefia sensed her suffering, and started kissing her with more intensity. His tongue gently pressed against her bottom lip, and when her mouth opened slightly, he took the opportunity to rub his tongue against hers. She moaned lightly, and leaned closer and closer into Akefia's strong body. Her arms wrapped around his neck and shoulders as their lips and tongues danced in the pale night. _

_As the pain from the Millennium Item dulled to nothing, the needles fell out of her abdomen one by one. Peering down at the ring, Amanet gazed longingly into Akefia's eyes and sighed. _

_"Does this mean the fun's over?"He smirked. _

_"Not unless you want it to be."_

* * *

><p>The scene fuzzed out as their lips reconnected. It was day again, but the sky was darkened by clouds. In the alleyways of the city, Amanet was walking towards the designated meeting place for her and the Thief King. She was stopped, however, by an unexpected visitor.<p>

_"So, we meet again." the voice was that of Auknadin, whom Amanet had not seen for months. "I hope that you will return the favor you owe us."_

_Amanet looked at the priest defiantly. _

_"I have nothing to say to you. I never agreed to give you any information, now if I may..." She tried to walk away briskly, but was intercepted by the royal guard. _

_"You will find that I will not be as kind as I was the last time we met. Now, the location of the Thief King; where is he now? Don't even try to be snide with me; we were in agreement the moment I let you escape from there."_

_She visibly panicked. Her hands were shaking and her vision was blurring because she knew there was no way out if this. _

_"I-we-" _

_"Amanet?" a low voice breathed from behind her. It was Akefia! "What is he...talking about?"_

_She whipped her face around to face her love. Before she had a chance to speak, Auknadin piped up. _

_"This girl has brought us straight to the Thief King! Guards, seize him!"_

_Despite his clear confusion, Akefia took no time taking out the weaklings that basically came running to their deaths. Once they were all dispatched, the only ones left alive were Amanet, himself, and the priest. _

_"Well, that proved rather ineffectual." the priest muttered bluntly. _

_Akefia brought his attention back to Amanet and asked again,_

_"What was that priest talking about earlier?"_

_Her face drained of color. He had heard the entire conversation! Auknadin was the first to break the silence. _

_"This woman is working with us. She has quite the debt to repay, doesn't she."_

_"No! I-Akefia, you know me more than anyone! I would never do anything like that, and you know it!" she cried. _

_The thief's fists clenched. _

_"...You traitor."_

_Tears were beginning to gather in her eyes. _

_"'Kefia, I never-"_

_"Traitor!"_

_Akefia threw one of his knives straight into the priest's face, killing him instantly. He fell to the ground with a thud as thunder crashed in the sky above. _

_"Amanet..."She shook as her name was called. Her body had no resistance to the implication to go over towards him though. Once she was close to him, she noticed a strange flicker in his eyes. They looked almost red in comparison to his usual violet. _

_From there, the sky split open, revealing two shining crimson eyes. _

* * *

><p>We were brought back to the general darkness of the Shadow Realm. I didn't know what to say to all of the memories I had seen, but even if I did, I wouldn't be able to: Amanet was still possessing me.<p>

"What was the point of showing me all of that?"

Amanet looked up at her former lover with saddened eyes.

"To prove to you that I didn't betray you." She twitched slightly, then strained her expression. "I'm out of time, Akefia. Please, don't hate this girl because of me..."

A silver light shrouded my body, and I felt like a great weight was lifted from my shoulders. The prickling feeling vanished, and I was left alone with Bakura in the shadows.

He sighed, and turned away from me. The shadows suddenly dissipated and we were back in Ryou's front hallway. Bakura suddenly turned back around to face me, but he wasn't Bakura anymore.

"Akane-san! Are you alright? He didn't do anything to you, did he?"His voice was Ryou's, complete with brown eyes and not-so-spiky hair. I smiled weakly at him, and replied,

"I'm alright, Ryou-kun. But you really need to explain all of this Egypt stuff to me."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**Have you noticed that my chapters have gradually gotten longer? It amazes me!**

**Amanet: ...did we...**

**Akefia: ...I think so...**

**Me: ... I WIN THE '...' FIGHT!**

**Everyone: O.O**

***cough cough* Okie dokie then... You will notice, no doubt, that I strayed from canon a bit near the end. THIS IS INTENTIONAL! DON'T TELL ME I SCREWED LIFE UP! **

**Ryou: Yay! I finally got some screen time!**

**Akane: ^^ and I'm out of the Shadow Realm!**

**Me: AND I GOT A BOYFRIEND!**

**Bakura: Imaginary ones don't count.**

**Me: STFU! ROAR! He's real!**

**Bakura: Sure...**

**Me: ...ahem. Disclaim?**

**Ryou: NO~!**

**Me: Who will disclaim?**

***everyone steps back***

**...You make me sad.**

**I do not own any of the concepts of Yu-Gi-Oh, Canada, CMT, Kuribohs, sex, cupcakes, weird memories, possession, flashbacks, the color purple, midnight kissing sessions under the moon, implied lemons, guards creeping around allies in Egypt, evil eyes popping out of the sky, or the idea of an author's note before and/or after stories. I don't think I missed anything...did I? **

**Akane: I really hope not, or else we'll be here all day. **

**Now, you see the lovely little pressable thing down at the bottom of the page? It says something about a review? Would you all be the best of people and, maybe, click on said pressable thing and do as the voices say and write a review? By reading previous author's notes, you know how much I liek reviews... almost as much as Mudkipz. I love reviews more than Kururu loves laughing like "Kukukukukukukukukuu..." or L loving sweets or Pedobear loving small and attractive children. And as we all know, that's a hell of a lot of love ^^ and just because I love these little things I made up a while ago...**

**Getting a review is like a necrophiliac's random dead body. I molest it…Wait. What?**


	7. Chapter 7: Good and Bad Luck

**Hey all! Welcome to chapter 7! It's the beginning of something... Oh yes, and before I forget: this would be chapter 8, but I took out that one little non-chapter blurb, so this is chapter 7. Chapter 6 is the new chapter 6 rather than chapter 5 and... yeah. So if you haven't read the chapter 6 that got updated last week(?), read that first. This won't make any sense whatsoever without it. Lol. NEKO FIGHT!**

**Akane: Should I be scared?**

**Me: I don't know. You tell me.**

**A shout-out to my amazing reviewers! Punk Rock Kitsune, kurinki, and AnimePervert! You are dah best evah!**

**Bakura: See Riv? This is why you don't drink. Look at that last statement. See anything wrong with it?**

**Me: ...ve?**

**Bakura: And you don't even have an excuse to say that. You're hung over, not drunk.**

**Me: Ve...**

**Italy: Ve!**

**Me: He is!**

**BTW Kitsune, the first did spell 'dedication', but the second one spelled a jumbled up 'determination'. Take that xD**

**To kurinki: NUUUUUUUU! Thou must not be lazy, thou must have excessive hyperactivity moments!**

**And AnimePervert: You gave me the inspiration for this chapter! Thanks dearie ^^**

**And now, on wit dah chaptah!**

**Bakura: *facepalm***

* * *

><p>When the Snow Falls, chapter 7<p>

Good and Bad Luck.

* * *

><p>Needless to say, what Ryou told me was complex, implausible, and confusing.<p>

"So, what you're telling me is that Bakura is an evil spirit living inside that pendant?" Akane asked him.

Ryou nodded silently.

"I know it's really weird. Sometimes I feel like this is all a bad dream that I'm not able to wake up from. And whenever I think that, he starts talking to me through a mind-link; telling me how it's all real and such. It just...frustrates me so much that I can't do anything to control him."

His emotions were clearly written on the albino's face. It was a mixture of grief, anger and helplessness. I too felt helpless. I didn't know if there was anything I could do to help him through this. I moved slowly towards him on the sofa and pulled my arms around him. He jumped initially; not expecting the sudden hug, but eventually sank into it.

"I'm sorry, Ryou-kun." I whispered.

"... Thank you, Akane-san. Even though we haven't known each other for very long, I can honestly say you're one of the kindest people I've ever met." he murmured. I perked my ears slightly, not really able to believe he had said something so nice. My mind flashed back to Bakura; his arrogant speech patterns and complete disregard for anyone else's feelings. They were polar opposites, the two whitettes. "Usually when people find out about him, they distance themselves from me. It's...really lonely."

I removed my arms from their position around Ryou's shoulders, and fidgeted with my fingers. After a long pause, I muttered

"Whoever leaves you because of someone else is obviously not worth your time... I think that people should like you for who you are, and not be swayed by that annoying bastard."

Ryou sighed sadly, and then looked me dead in the eyes.

"He's laughing at you. And calling you a fool. 'People don't care about other people with their hearts; they think with their minds about the benefits they can get out of a certain person then leave them to die.'"

I resisted the urge to laugh back at the spirit. Instead, I grabbed Ryou by his small white wrist and declared cheerfully, but still with my regular dosage of sarcasm,

"That's enough weird spirit-talk for today, alright Ryou-kun? How about we go for a walk in that park across the street?" Laughing, I continued, "Maybe harass some pigeons flying by?"

Ryou smiled back at me and nodded. We practically stampeded through the door and down the stairs to the outside, where unsuspecting birds lay in wait.

* * *

><p>It was nearly sundown by the time we got to the park. We tormented birds for a while by chasing them around when they tried to perch, but we soon grew tired of doing so. That, and the pidgeons were starting to put on their evil faces.<p>

In the middle of the area was a small pond, surrounded by trees and brush. The fiery red color that reflected off the surface of the water was awe-inspiring, to say the least.

"It's so pretty... It kind of makes you happy, don't you think?" I breathed quietly. Ryou turned to me, staring deeply into my smoky eyes.

"Yeah. It's amazing how something so beautiful can go on; completely unaffected by human emotions or situations."

We were now sitting near the water of the mini-lake. It was a steep, rocky cliff that was a good ten feet higher than the surface of the water. Small lichens grew over the boulders and stones, giving the area a really serene effect. Ryou cleared his throat for a second, and took a deep breath.

"I ...Akane-san, I want to ask you something."

I tilted my head in confusion.

"Hmm? What is it, Ryou-kun?"

"Why did you agree to cone and live with me? We hardly knew each other, and mind you, I was under Bakura's control when I-_he_ asked you that. Do you really have no other family?"

I twitched slightly at the thought. It's true, I didn't know him at all at the beginning of the morning, and now were acting as if we were lifelong friends. That _would_ strike anyone as odd, right?

"My mother is dead. My father...died this morning. I have never known any of my other relatives; that is, if they exist." I whispered. "I was never allowed to make friends at school, so I couldn't stay with one of them. You are actually the only person that hasn't been unkind to me..." My eyes glazed over for a moment in silence. Re-breaking the still, I continued, "Well, that's all in the past. Gotta keep looking to the future, right?"

I jumped up from the place I was sitting at, attempting to get to a standing position for dramatic effect. Bad idea. When I landed, it was close to the ledge where the rocks were loose. The tip of my shoe hit the stones, but proved inconsequential to a possibility of stopping as I fell towards the water below.

Ryou stared. I don't think his brain had finished comprehending what was going on. His mouth was slightly open; as if he was taking in a silent gasp, but his limbs were frozen in place.

Falling.

Falling.

Then, I hit the water.

It was cold; frigid as ice or snow. The only difference here was that it enveloped me completely. The fast current in the undertow kept pulling me deeper and deeper into the depths of that small lake. That brings me to my next point: I am terrified of water. When I was younger, maybe six or seven years old, my father tried to kill me by drowning me in the bathtub. Needless to say it left me with a fear of water and deep hatred for it. I shut my eyes quickly and pulled my arms and legs towards my torso in an instinctive defence position. As it was, that didn't help my "sinking to the bottom" predicament. To be honest, I was terrified. In the panic and lack of breathable oxygen, my mind started to wander.

_Am I going to die here? I-I don't want to die... But then again, if I did, who would notice? I don't exist in this world; I've made no impact whatsoever. But if I do die, Ryou would be all alone again, and Bakura... Bakura would-_

A rough pull tore me from my thoughts. Opening my eyes, I was shocked to see Ryou- no, _Bakura_ swimming beside me in the freezing water and coaxing me towards himself. He pulled my arm again, alerting me towards the light streaming through the surface of the water. I was reluctant to let Bakura of all people help me, but if it got me out of this damn water, I'd do just about anything.

The chill of the water got worse and then everything started blurring and numbing. After that, there was nothing.

* * *

><p><em>The moon was high in the starry sky that night. Despite the luminescence from said celestials, the land was shrouded in the deepest of darkness. Nothing was seen, nothing was heard. Suddenly, a weak spark pierced the night and erupted into flames. Surrounding the fire were two people, and a pair of horses tied to a nearby tree. The forms sat near the fire, warming themselves in its glow. <em>

_"Amanet, have you noticed that the palace spoils have been diminishing lately?" the male pondered. The female sighed, then muttered_

_"It's because Pharaoh Akunumkanon has died recently. They're preparing for his burial by putting gold and jewels in the tomb. All of its' being moved from the palace to the Valley of the Kings." She chuckled for a moment. "So Akefia, is that our next target then?"_

_Akefia shuffled closer to Amanet for a moment before wrapping his arm around her waist. _

_"Where else?"_

_The heist was almost perfect. The tomb was unguarded. The riches- oh the sweet success of a raid! They were practically _waiting_ to be stolen. _

* * *

><p>I awoke. That in itself surprised me, let alone that it happened on dry land. Even more so that I was back in Ryou's apartment. My mouth tasted like water and dirt. <em>Does water even <em>have_ a taste?_ I groaned quietly, but then I felt something move close by. When my eyes strained themselves to see, I was surprised to see Bakura staring at me...worried?

"Ba-Bakura?" I croaked. He sighed and looked deep into my eyes. Smirking for a moment, he replied

"You owe me big time, Akane."

I wasn't sure what to say to him. It's true; I owed him my life now. Not necessarily the best thing when referring to an evil spirit. I opened my mouth to say something, but my mind went fuzzy again, and I could feel my consciousness slipping again. Before I fell into the dark abyss of my mind, I heard one last comment from Bakura:

_"Silly girl. Why didn't you tell him you were afraid of water? If you did, I would have saved you faster."_

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**It's a bit of a blah chapter... At least I think so. I've written and rewritten this at least 6 or 7 times now, and this was the best I could come up with.**

**The pairing poll is now closed! The pairing has been decided! BUT ISS A SECRET! ^^ There's a new poll, it's for if I should add more Yu-Gi-Oh characters into the story. Or you could send it in a review! Gaspia!**

**Soo, how about that weather outside?... I think it's 'review' weather, but that's just the internationally acclaimed idea. You know, stuff.**

**People that review this chapter will recieve... *drum roll* a Millennium Item of your choice complete with the user of said item!**

**Ryou: NUUU! I'm going to be kidnapped by fangirls again!**

**Malik: Hey, you can't do that!**

**Me: It's not pornography...yet.**

**Everyone: o.O'**

**So... review? I'll definately love you forever! 333 (insert 'less than' symbol between the appearing 3's. It'll make so much more sense lol) Plus, if you review, I'll update really super quick!**

**Peace out.**

**~Riv-chan**


	8. Chapter 8: Beginning of Something New

**Hey. I know. I'm terrible. I didn't update until now. I've been super busy with marching band things. Please don't kill me.**

**PRK: Sure hon. Sure. *hides chainsaw***

**IA: *cough cough* sheathes sword***

**F,I&S: I have nothing to say to you Riv.**

**Kuraki-chan: You should be able to write faster, darn it. **

**cureampaffu, aka kurinki: NO! YOU'RE GOING TO DIE ANYWAY!**

**Me: Oh noes! Ryou, protect me!**

**cureampaffu: I-I can't hurt Ry-chan! *runs away crying***

**Me: Hehehehe... So a super special awesome shout-out to my lovely reviewers: Punk Rock Kitsune, Incurably Awesome, Kuraki-chan, Fire Ice and Snowcones, Stormygio, Ryanneravenstar, clarissazeniarosele, Mairorah, cureampaffu... and I think that's it... *facedesk***

**Ooh! I remember now! Be sure to read "Evacuate the Dancefloor" by Punk Rock Kitsune and "The Pigeons Strike Back" by Incurably Awesome! They both are excellent and have Akane-chan in them! Now do it *maniacal laughter***

**Akane: Teeheehee!**

**Me: And without any further ado, ze story de arimasu!**

* * *

><p>When the Snow Falls, Chapter 8<p>

The Beginning of Something New

When I woke up, I was laying on something soft. And when I say soft, I mean as soft as a baby kitten. **(A/N: AWWE. Baby kitty ^^)**

There was a small glimmer of sunlight peering through half-shut blinds, and it was shining right into my eyes. Squinting, I turned my head from side to side and pushed myself into a sitting position. It wasn't until I was upright that I noticed Ryou kneeling beside the bed, sleeping soundly with his head on my lap. I blushed slightly at the sight. He was so cute when he slept...

_Mental slap. For one, guys aren't supposed to be cute; per se, right? "Handsome" was the preferred term, wasn't it? And secondly, I was still in a rut from everything that had happened over the past days. Now was not the time to be thinking this way! Heh, whatever. Since when did I ever do things predictably?_

I slowly brought my slightly quivering hand to where Ryou's snowy hair lay, and ran my fingers through it as gently as I could. It was thick and smooth, each white tress even more feathery than the other. He must have felt it at some point; because after a couple of seconds he started to stir from his sleep. I darted my hand back in embarrassment.

"Hmmm, Akane...?" he muttered incoherently. He was still half-asleep.

My face flushed wildly all of a sudden. I could feel my ears heat up under the auburn mess that was my hair too. When have I ever acted this way? Sure, I had my bipolar moments where I would go from my normal sarcastic self to a trembling little girl, but this was so out of character for even my standards. '_What the hell is going on with me_?' I thought. _'Snap out of it! Stupid, stupid, stupid!_'

At this point, Ryou was giving me quite a weird look. Of course, I was hitting myself in the forehead with my fist. That's not strange at all, is it?

_'There we go. I'm back to my usual sarcasm. Good_.'

"Oh, hey Ryou-kun! Good morning." I beamed awkwardly. He set aside his questioning face and replied

"Hehe, good morning Akane-san. Are you feeling alright after what happened yesterday?"

I nodded slightly, and pushed myself up on the bed. Ryou slowly got up from where he was kneeling, wincing a bit from his legs probably cramping through the night, and sat himself on the far edge of the blankets.

"...Yami told me that he got you out of the lake."

I looked away for a moment before answering.

"Yeah. Afterwards he called me an idiot for falling." I chuckled for a moment and added, "I totally felt like there were magnets pulling me in!"

"Revenge of the tortured pigeons, right?" Ryou laughed.

Oh, the crazy things we joked about that morning. Evil pigeons with advanced technology, peculiar relations with rats, and all those strange theories that couldn't possibly be true.

* * *

><p>After a good hour of insanity, Ryou got up from his place on the bed, and glanced at me with a look I couldn't even try to decipher. His eyes bored into mine, and he suddenly grabbed my hands. I flinched slightly at the sudden impact, but didn't leave the strange system of eye contact he established.<p>

"I-I want to take you out today, if I could. And I promise, you won't fall into a lake this time."

I had to admit, it was a bit random. I certainly was not expecting anything like that; not in a million years! I swallowed the lump that was amassing in my throat and smiled.

"I'd love to. But before we go, why don't we get some breakfast? I'm starving!"

The day progressed faster than I would have ever thought possible. After eating a light breakfast, we ventured into the street markets, did some shopping and random sightseeing. It was my first time in North Domino, and Ryou made a silly vow to show me all of the "hot spots" in the area. I couldn't help but laugh a bit when he said that, but all in all, I really appreciated all that he's done for me.

It's not every day that your life changes dramatically; even less that a complete stranger helps you get back on your feet.

A sudden twitch from Ryou slammed me back into reality from my thoughts. He grabbed something out of his pocket; a cell phone apparently, and put it up to his ear.

"Hello? ...Really? That would be great! Oh yes, would I be able to bring someone with me?" As he spoke to the voice on the phone, he glanced at me with a look of optimism. "Alright, thanks. See you later." He closed the phone gingerly and pocketed it.

"Who was that?" I asked curiously. Ryou smiled at me, and replied,

"That was my friend, Malik. He's hosting a little get-together and he invited me. And he said that I could being someone too, so are you up to it?"

I was taken back for a second.

"Me? But if it's a party for friends, wouldn't I be like an awkward third wheel or something to that extent?"

Ryou jolted at my comment, hurt showing in his doe-brown eyes.

"N-No Akane-san, it's not like that. I really want you to be there. And I-"

He cut himself off there. I had no idea what he was trying to say, but I felt that I couldn't leave things up in the air. Sighing, I resumed my gaze into Ryou's brown pools.

"Alright, I'll go."

Ryou's eyes brightened and his more-needed smile returned to his face.

The emotion was infectious; I couldn't help but smile back.

* * *

><p>It was in the evening. The air was chilled and a light layering of frost lined the trees and grass. It was a nice night, in spite of the cold. I could hear loud techno music playing in the relatively small house Ryou and I stopped at. As the random death metal etc. person that I am, I didn't know what to say to the selection, but I kept my mouth shut anyway. Ryou turned to me apprehensively, and murmured<p>

"Shall we?"

I nodded gently, and followed him into the wide unknown of social gatherings.

_**'This is going to be interesting.'**_

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**Dx I have been dealing with a massive variety of "No, you can't write" times. Have you ever heard of the Calgary Stampede? That's what I'm in the middle of the marching band world of that. A lot of time, sweat, and sunburns. Yup. *sigh* That, and the lovely week known as Hell Week, where we rehearse 10 hours a day for two weeks. They should call it Masochism Weeks. **

**Akane: So you write...filler?**

**Me: IT'S NOT FILLER! IT'S THE BEGINNING OF SOMETHING NEW!**

**Akane: ...Sure. Whatever you say Riv. *slaps sunburns***

**Me: OOOOOWWWWWWW! That's it! No bunnies for you!**

**Akane: D:**

**Me: So... do you want to review? I know you do. How do I know? I AM GOD! **

**JK. But seriously, review? I want to know what you guys think ^^**

**And if you want to creep me on other accounts (which I want you to do, by the way xD) my Steam and deviantArt accounts are under (you guessed it) RiverTear980. My Facebook is Ally Tenor Saxy Oboe, (the _only_ one you will _ever_ find on that site, btw, but my profile picture is Shion Sonozaki from Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni with her 'rape face' on for the time being) and ...yeah! So creep me! Just for Facebook, send me your FF pen-name so I know you're not a totally random person with no relation to anything pertaining to me ^^**

**Now, Disclaim!**

**Ryou: Yes master. RiverTear980 does not own anything. Yu-Gi-Oh is owned by Kazuki Takahashi and he has far too much money to get involved. He won't even call an ambulance for Grandpa Motou. And she _still_ doesn't have a soul. We should fix this sometime soon...**


	9. Chapter 9: Emotions

**Hey! Just so that you know, this may be the last time I update this for quite a while. I'm going to Kuala Lampur, Malaysia for a marching band competition, and that's going to be the 20th until August 6th. I MIGHT be able to update again before the 20th, but we'll see.**

**Akane: That means that if you review, she's going to update. Trust me. You want that.**

**Me: And a big, loud shout-out to my reviewers; whom I love! Destiny Xavier16, Punk Rock Kitsune, Stormygio, Kuraki-chan, Ryannravenstarr, DutchyPuppy, and katz341! Huggles!**

**Akane: What, no IA? Where is she?**

**Me: *sniffs* she didn't review...**

**Rena: IMNA KEEL HER WIT AN AXE!**

**Me: NOOOO!**

**Anywhoodles, enjoy! *evil laughter***

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><p><strong>When the Snow Falls, chapter 9<strong>

**Emotions.**

Ryou opened the door to the house. The music whose bass line had already emanated from the building in gut-wrenching volumes was multiplied tenfold. It took all of my willpower to stop myself from covering my buzzing ears with my palms.

A tanned, muscular boy dashed up to the door and gave me a one-over. Giving him a look of questioning and slight annoyance, he suddenly turned to Ryou and smirked.

"So, where did you pick this one up?"

Ryou froze.

I facepalmed.

The boy feigned innocence.

Ryou cleared his throat and said,

"Nice to see you too, Malik."

Malik laughed loudly, then grabbed both of our arms; pulling us farther into the house. That's when I noticed the number of people. There was a hell of a lot. I was partially expecting this, but this was just too much to imagine.

Ryou kept glancing at me awkwardly as we were continuously dragged into the building. He would dart his gaze away whenever I peered back at him however. Malik would stare at us chuckling, but that was just Malik being his weird self, right?

Malik continued dragging us along until we arrived in the main hall of the house; obscenely loud music playing all of the while. I could feel the curious stares I got from the people standing around. I tried to ignore them, but some were persistent. My discomfort must have shown to Ryou, because at one point or another, he nudged me gently in the arm. Darting my attention back to him in acknowledgment, he smiled slightly. Of course, seeing as his smile is so contagious, I returned an apprehensive grin.

The tanned bit stopped suddenly, causing us to lurch a bit. We were in the middle of what appeared to be a dancefloor. 'Oh shit. Are you telling me-' My thoughts were interrupted by Malik jamming the two hands he was holding (that being mine and Ryou's) and laughing.

"Have fun, you two!"

Our faces turned bright as strawberries. Our hands let go of the other jerkily and somewhat instinctively, and all I could think was 'Lord, Malik. You do know that I'm going to shoot you in the face now, right?'

A slow song started playing over the speakers. Lyrical, moving melodies and harmonies flowed with ease throughout the opening. Ryou nervously shuffled towards me and extended his hand to me and murmured

"Can I, that is, do you want to dance?"

I was beyond apprehensive. I can't dance. Last time I tried, well, needless to say things didn't go well.

"I-I really can't dance to save my life, Ryou-kun. I'm a complete failure at this sort of thing."

Ryou chuckled to himself for a moment then replied

"Neither can I. But there's nothing wrong with trying anyway, right?"

I laughed back at him and nodded.

"Sure, but don't blame me if one of us ends up in a wheelchair!"

He took my hand, and thus began the strange phenomenon known as "dancing".

* * *

><p>"Ouch!"<p>

"I'm sorry! Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. This shit's dangerous!"

That general conversation lasted throughout the time that we danced. Feet were stepped on, but what's worse is that at one point, I accidentally kneed Ryou in the crotch. I apologized profusely and felt terrible for doing that.

This is why people don't let me dance. Ever.

As the end of the song was nearing, I began getting a little more comfortable with what I was doing. At that point, one could say I got careless. I tripped over my foot as the tempo got a little more upbeat, and I fell right on top of Ryou. As our bodies collided, as did our lips. Everything was silent after that. A loud wolf-whistle broke the still, and my face flushed bright red. I scrambled off of Ryou, who was also blushing fiercely, and sat beside him awkwardly. I didn't want to see anyone else's patronizing face staring at me. I was afraid to say anything. I mean, I really like Ryou. Not just as friends, but more than that.

I couldn't just sit there anymore. I jumped up from where I unceremoniously fell, and darted out of the room. Ryou raised his head to see me running, but couldn't react fast enough to successfully catch me.

_That wasn't how it was supposed to happen. Why is it that every time something happens, it happens in a miserable way? Damn it all, damn it all!_

* * *

><p>I didn't stop running until I was out of the house. I was halfway down the street by the time I stopped. The air was significantly colder than it was earlier, and an icy wind chilled my bare arms. I shivered, and started rubbing my arms to warm myself up. Suddenly, I felt a cover of soft fabric drape over me. I peered over my shoulder to see the one person that I wanted, yet didn't want; to see standing behind me. Ryou.<p>

"R-Ryou-kun?.." I stuttered. "What are you doing out here?"

Ryou's expression was completely unreadable, and I could feel his brown eyes drown in my deep grey ones.

"Akane-san, are you alright? You seem...sad."

I could feel my entire body shake in apprehension. 'What do I say? I have no idea what to do or anything!' I thought.

"I-that is..." I muttered. "Just...forget about what happened in there."

Ryou's face fell and he walked closer to me. My heart was pounding as he gently grasped my arm, but nothing prepared my for what came after that. His right hand travelled up my arm and caressed my cheek. He fluttered his eyes closed and pressed his cool lips against mine. I gasped slightly, and kissed him back. Gooseflesh covered my entire body as his tongue brushed against my lower lip. I breathed in slightly, and Ryou took the opportunity to let his tongue stray into my mouth.

As we kissed under the pale moonlight, small flakes of snow began falling from the sky.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**Me: There you have it ^^ Some of you hate me, some of you love me. I love the ones that love me xD**

**Ryou: You know, I hated you from the beginning. But now, I suppose you're ok.**

**Akane: Just wait. She's a frigging sadist.**

**Me: *evil sniggers***

**Ryou: By the way, can... I call you Akane-chan?**

**Akane: *blushes* yeah :D**

**Me: Bakura~!**

**Bakura: What do you want, witch?**

**Me: Disclaim desu?**

**Bakura: Will you give me screentime?**

**Me: Only if you do the disclaimer. **

**Bakura: *sigh* That crazy bitch owns nothing. We are all owned by Kazuki Takahashi, except for Akane. PLEASE SAVE US! SHE'S GOING TO KILL PEOPLE!**

**Me: Oh Kura, your jokes are so funny ^^ *pulls out a katana***

**Everyone: *sweatdrop***

**Me: Review? If you do, I'll spare some lives :D**

**BTW: Shadow-chan can't get me ^^ MWAHAHAHAHHAH!**

**Shadow: Yes, I can. Insane bitch.**

**Me: I think someone needs more anger management classes~!**


	10. Chapter 10: A Life to Live

**I said I would write faster with reviews. I got lots. Therefore, I wrote fast ^^ **

**More super mega hugs of doom to my gorgeous lovelies: Punk Rock Kitsune, Incurably Awesome (aka Now Secure Amiably xD), heartsneverfall, Stormygio, Dutchy Puppy, Kuraki-chan, Adorehim88, ryanneravenstarr, and Destiny Xavier16 :D I love you all! Your fun and funny reviews make my day _every day_. For reals, I have them saved in my e-mail inbox lol. **

***hugs***

* * *

><p>When the Snow Falls, chapter 10<p>

A Life to Live

I hadn't seen Ryou once since that night. It's not that he wasn't in the apartment or anything; Bakura was just hanging around too often for comfort. He wouldn't talk to anyone either. He would wake up early in the morning, leave, and come back at extremely late hours of the night. Many times I tried asking him where he was going. His response to everything was ignoring me now.

You know, not that it bothered me or anything. He was just walking around with Ryou's body doing god-knows-what. No problem.

Several days passed before anything changed. Bakura walked up to me with a face of complete indifference and asked,

"Where's Amanet?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, _fluffy_." I scoffed.

I didn't have an answer for him. I mean, how could I? After we met her that one time, I hardly knew what was going on with these ancient spirits anymore.

Bakura's eyebrow twitched in annoyance.

"Don't. Ever. Call me that." he snarled viciously. He stormed off with his teeth and fists clenched.

Sighing, I shuffled back to the room Ryou had prepared for me when I came here, and say down on the bed heavily.

"Ryou... Where are you?" I whispered to myself.

I clearly couldn't deny it.

I was in love with him. Every little quirk held me tighter to him, and I never wanted to let go. Judging on what happened that snowy night, I was pretty sure that he felt the same. Of course, I had no way of talking to him; Bakura never let him. And I would never, in a million years, talk to _him_ about this. That would come back to bite me in the ass sooner or later.

"**There is a way**."

The voice jolted me from my thoughts. I looked around the room frantically, but I didn't see anyone or anything that could make a sound.

"Che, and now I'm hearing voices. Schizoid much?"

"**I can assure you, you do not have schizophrenia**."

Now this was just too funny.

"Then who the hell am I talking to?"

It was silent for a moment, but then the voice cleared it's "throat" and responded

"**It's Amanet**."

My brain stopped working for a moment. _'Really?' I thought 'She's lurking around in my head still?_'

"**Well, aren't you just a basket of sarcastic roses?**" Amanet scoffed, equally sarcastically.

At this point, I found out just how annoying my constant sarcasm could be. Outwardly sighing, I mumbled

"What is it? What do you want from me?"

"**It's about all four of us. Bakura, his host, you, and I. I'm quite aware from watching the last week or so of your life that you have feelings for that Ryou boy, right?**"

My face flushed slightly at her blatant observations. 'It _wasn't THAT obvious, was it?_'

"**Very much so.**" She chuckled.

I growled inaudibly.

"You're really starting to get annoying, do you know that?"

Amanet laughed loudly, then continued

"**That brings me to my more relevant point. Do you remember what happened in the Shadow Realm? How you materialized that weapon?**" I nodded. "**You, like myself, have the power of Shadow manipulation. Thus, what you can do is separate the Yamis from the Hikaris by creating new vessels for the spirits within the realm.**"

I was dumbfounded.

"So, basically what you're saying is that you and Bakura would separate from Ryou and I?" Amanet hummed in confirmation. Then I thought of something. "Then why couldn't you do that yourself? You said that you had that power too, right?"

Amanet exhaled deeply before responding.

"**There is a crucial necessity in the ability: you have to be living. The energy that feeds the power is found only in living beings. Therefore, I couldn't do anything about it myself. If I could, don't you think that I would have done that long ago?**"

I nodded gently in my solitude. If there was something; _anything_ I could do to let Ryou not have to worry about Bakura taking over both his body and his life, I wanted to do all that I could.

"Teach me."

The hours we spent in the darkness.

The endless repetitions of magic and incantations.

The frustration if failure time after time.

It was all worth it though.

"**Now, speak the incantation over me. I can take my astral form now that we have finished.**" A small, fuzzy form started collecting before me. This was the first time I had ever seen Amanet so close; she was beautiful! She looked a lot like me, but he skin was darker and her general outlook had a lot more vitality to it.

As I was gawking at her, she started getting impatient. She cleared her throat, and indicated to me to begin.

"Bannē alaga ātmā'ō vibhājita rahēśē. Vidēśī mātē navī śarīra. Bē bē, ēka ēka, śyāma anē pāchā pharī prakāśā. Prakāśana!"

A clear light gathered around Amanet. She gasped lightly for a second, then grabbed my arm with her metaphysical hand. That startled me and I had an instinctive reaction to pull myself back, but the Egyptian's eyes, glazed and widened, indicated that I had to be with her.

Suddenly, I felt a massive, painful pull from my chest. I curdled over in agony, crying out. She kept her firm grasp on my wrist as I fell over, but was clearly unable to keep a complete hold on me.

"You fool! The ritual won't finish unless we remain in contact with each other!" Amanet hissed. I swallowed my suffering and tired to re-establish the connection we had. In a few short moments, I could no longer feel any pain. It was as if it was lifted from my heart. Opening my eyes slowly, I saw something expected, yet beautifully surprising: Amanet was standing before me, fully visible. I scrambled to my feet and faced her.

She extended her hand to me, and smiled.

"It worked, Akane. Thank you."

I smiled back.

"Now for Ryou... and Bakura too."

Amanet smirked for a moment, and giggled softly. As we turned away to dissolve the shadows, I small voice perked up from behind us.

"A-Akane-chan?"

_That voice! It's-_

I whipped around to see something that I never thought I would see. Ryou and Bakura, standing side-by-side.

"Ryou!" I called out emotionally. "It's really you!" We ran towards each other and embraced. How long have I wanted to be held by these arms again? I buried my face in the crook of his neck, and muttered

"I'm so glad you're back."

Ryou pulled me away before bringing me back in a tongue-twisting, heartstring-pulling kiss.

"It's good to be back."

Amanet and Bakura glanced at each other before completing the disintegration of the Shadow Realm and walking towards each other. After a moment's hesitation, their hands and fingers entwined and they left Ryou and I alone.

"Ryou?" I whispered hesitantly. He looked me dead in the eye in acknowledgement. "There's something I have to tell you."

"What is it?" he asked.

"I-I think I love you."

Ryou didn't give me a chance to brace myself for an answer before wrapping his arms around my waist again.

"That's something we share, Akane-chan. I love you as well."

My heart soared with every word he said to me that night.

I'll never forget those heartfelt nights.

Our love started when the snow fell.

_**Finis.**_

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**Do you hate me? I really hope you don't. **

**Akane: It's over? *cries***

**Ryou: It's ok! *hugs***

**Bakura: My screentime was hardly sufficient.**

**Me: Suck it up, hon. You didn't pay me enough! And just a BTW, the little foreign blurb is in a language called Gujarati. I took a random verse off the top of my head and stuck it into Google translate, then romanized it. The grammar is likely horrid. Blame me not. Translated, it roughly means "The separate souls of the two shall split. A new body for the foreign. Two to two, one to one, light to dark and back again. Release!" **

**Yeah.**

**And I'm going to do something I've never done before: The person that is the 66th reviewer gets to request something of ore-sama! Be it a one-shot of some sort of pairing or whatever, or an epilogue to this story, if you request it, I SHALL WRITE DESU! Just one thing: I won't do incest. Please don't ask me to do that. But I like yaoi ^^ BRING IT ON!**

**To all of my readers, I love you sooooo much for reading and reviewing this story. It means a lot to me that you took the time to read this. I just want you all to know that (insert heart-emicon here) :3**

**~Riv**


	11. Chapter 11: A New Arc

**I lied. The ending that was in chapter 10 was only the ending to the first arc. This is the second arc ^^ Super special awesome arigatoo to Kuraki-chan and Punk Rock Kitsune for helping me with the plot and such! **

**Everyone: ARIGATOO!**

**And to my lovely reviewers... HOLY CRAPPE LONG LIST!**

**Adorehim88: **Thanks so much :D I'm so glad you liked it! But... the ending is as the cake is, was, and forever shall be: a lie.

**Clarissazeniarosele: **Lunch isready! And on the menu is a new chapter! Hurray desu~

**IncurablyAwesome: **Well hey there *wink wink nudge nudge* Akane says she likes the dress, and the way she sees it, fat is an improvement since she's so bloody skinny!

Akane: I'm not _that_ skinny!

Riv: You're skinnier than me, bitch. And here's the complete "aww" collection: . W.

To those on you on mobile edition, I sincerely apologize for making the page asymmetrical.

Everyone: Gomennasai!

**Punk Rock Kitsune: **Haha, tis up! *does a dance* And may sadness be parted unlike Baku-chan's hair!

**Stormygio: ***joins the fangirl squeeing*

**heartsneverfall: **I'm so glad you like it :D Thanksies!

**Kuraki-chan: **UAAAAAAAHHHH! I CONTINUED IT! NOW PLEASE CALL OFF SHADOW! SHE'S SCARY!

And yes, there shall be a lot of PMSing Baku-chan, even though he denies it.

Bakura: For the last time, STOP CALLING ME BAKU-CHAN!

Me: See how he doesn't deny it? Gorgeous, Baku-chan.

**Ni2Kitsune: **Aha! Another Kitsune! (will someone explain to me what a Kitsune is?) And you may have a Kuriboh! But... the only one left is extremely perverted... I think I named it Tarou... (MM! reference, btw.) And the voices think I'm funny too. That's why they let me write these little notes at the beginning ^^

**yugioh lover13:** Happy endings are surprisingly happy :)

**And woot canoe for everyone who favourited, alerted, and reviewed all the way through the first arc. Let's just hope that I can write the second one as well, or even better!**

**Akane: What is 'woot canoe'? It doesn't make any sense!**

**Me: YOUR FACE DOESN'T MAKE SENSE!**

**Amanet: ...failure.**

**Riv: So, without any further ado-**

**Malik: ADO!**

**Riv: ... let's just start the story.**

* * *

><p><strong>When the Snow Falls, the Second Arc.<strong>

**Chapter 1**

_The police discovered my Father's body today. Although it's surprising how long it took, being as it has been at least three months since he died, that feeling is toned down by the fact that nobody has a reason to go near that house. _

_I heard how they found him too. The people in charge of taxation weren't getting any property taxes for the lot. When they started knocking on the door and received no answer, they beat the door down. That's when they saw it: my father's rotten corpse, still hanging from the ceiling in the front room._

_How do I know this? Well, it's amazing what they show on television these days..._

"-In other news, a body has been located in the residential area of South Domino. The identity of the victim is believed to be one Izumi Rouda-san. This murder may be linked to the series of homicides that have been taking place within the city, but confirmation from the police is still required. If anyone has any information, please contact the Domino Police Force imme-"

The power to the television switched off with a jerk. I felt Ryou wrap his arm around my shoulder and pull me closer to him. I sank right into his embrace, needing something to comfort me.

"I guess... they would have found him eventually..."

Ryou looked me right in the eyes and held me tighter.

"It'll be alright. I'll make sure of it."

I nodded gently and smiled up at him. A loud scoff took us right out of the calm, fluffy mood.

"Yadonushi, taking charge! It's so cute that it's disgusting." Bakura laughed. I clenched my fist in irritation as Ryou sighed.

"Thanks, Bakura. Really nice." He muttered sarcastically.

"What exactly happened? I'm in the dark here." Amanet inquired, obviously trying to change the subject. Bakura huffed, and then started telling us his version of the story.

"I felt a disturbance in the flow of the Shadow Realm with Amanet's signature trail to it. I just followed it to South Domino, and subsequently to your home. When I noticed what was going on in there, that being your father apparently trying to rape you and all-" he looked over at me with a strange variety of... sympathy (?) and continued, "I felt like being a nice person and helped you out a bit. Unfortunately for him, my definition of 'helping' generally means that someone is going to end up dead. So, long story short, I killed Akane's bastard father, left her alone after I saw that Amanet was nowhere to be found, and then she started stumbling out onto the street before passing out. Mr Goody-Two-Shoes here brought her to the hospital, and the rest is known to you." He smirked scarily at me and then passed his overly sarcastic gaze over to Ryou. "And before I forget, if they find DNA evidence on his body, it will be yours, Hikari. Just saying ahead of time."

"I know that." Ryou growled. "You possessed _my_ body after all; I would be surprised if it wasn't my DNA." His body shrunk upon the weight of the matter. "And I would be charged if I was caught. I wouldn't be able to say that it was an evil spirit that killed him; as accurate as that would be."

I peered questioningly at the Yami.

"How in bloody hell do you know about DNA evidence systems Bakura? I'm sure they didn't have the technology back in your time."

Bakura laughed oddly before responding.

"I've been watching a program on that infernal moving box called CSI in my spare time. You would have no idea how stupid some of these people are when it comes to killing people, not to mention uncreative. They all use guns and it's just so dull..."

I sighed wholeheartedly. _That guy _really_ needs to get his mind off of excessive violence..._ Amanet also sighed as she stood up from her place beside Bakura.

"I can see that the situation is rather dire. That and the methods of law are different to the ones that I am accustomed to." She turned to me and asked, "How do you plan on rectifying this situation?"

I adverted my gaze from her crimson-grey eyes to the ground. Honestly, I _didn't _know what I should do, or how to go about doing it. Should we turn ourselves in? No, that would be completely counter-productive. Ryou would definitely go to prison and get labelled as insane (because a person getting possessed by spirits that live in golden pieces of jewellery happens _every day_.)

"If the time comes that we must act, we'll run."

Everyone turned to the speaker, who was the normally shy whitette sitting beside me.

"Ryou..." I breathed. His eyes were glazed over with so many different emotions I couldn't even identify. One thing I could tell was that he was incredibly tense. It seemed that he was so close to breaking that if someone threw a stone at him, his heart would shatter into millions of pieces. He was never put into a situation this horrid before; anyone would be that way, right? I got up, and stilled my shaking hands.

"We'll be alright. I won't let anything bad happen." I declared. "And if something does happen anyway, I'll be the one to fix it. I'm the one that got us all into this mess, right?"

Ryou hesitated for a moment before closing his eyes reflectively and nodded. I smiled brightly; something I personally think I do enough of.

* * *

><p>The sub-mini-meeting of the two Hikari-Yami pairs broke, and we went our separate ways. Ryou followed me into my pseudo-bedroom (it used to be a rather large closet) and we sat on the bed side by side. After a short, awkward silence he softly put his hand on mine. The simple gesture made all of the emotional barriers I had built up after years of cruelty come crumbling down. Silent tears rolled down my face as I collapsed into Ryou's arms. He unwrapped his fingers from my hands and started running them through my long fiery red hair. The calming touches made me shudder, which pulled me closer to him.<p>

"Are you going to be alright, Akane-chan?" he whispered lightly in my ear. I tried my hardest to stop crying; if not for myself then for him, and smile. What came out was an odd combination fo the two with pouring tear ducts and a quivering lipped grin. I wanted so much to hide that face; that depressed and ugly face from him, but he wouldn't let me. As I attempted to turn away, he removed his hands from my hair and relocated them to my chin and cheek and brushed his lips against mine. At this point, I just ceased resisting Ryou's physical influence. I bit my lip to stop his quivering and kissed him back. Ryou smiled slightly at my emotional change, and took the initiative to deepen the kiss. When he did, I breathed in a bit in slight surprise, but then resumed with the same course of actions.

The feeling of his soft, kind, loving lips on mine was almost heavenly; whenever he kissed me I was on cloud nine. My heart fluttered away, high and drunk on his love and our happiness. _'This'_ I thought _'is my real life, with Ryou and happy. I don't have to think about my old life in that basement anymore.'_

I was tossed from my thoughts as Ryou's cold hands trailed slowly up my arm. Everywhere they went, gooseflesh sprang up and covered my skin. I could feel myself unconsciously pulling closer to him with every kiss, with every touch. Ryou leaned closer to me as well. Eventually some mix of gravity and momentum bowled us over; the blushing whitette on top of the even pinker-faced me. I chuckled nervously at our slightly more than awkward position and he smiled back at me. Using his left forearm as support he used his right hand to brush away the strands of my bangs that had fallen to my eyes. They were still slightly puffy from the most recent cry session, but were in significantly better condition than normal.

"That's... That's the smile I love seeing." Ryou murmured sensually. I giggled almost childishly before whispering back,

"Well, I would hate to disappoint you, Ryou." I kissed him chastely on the cheek before moving back to his lips. He hummed quietly as we kissed, the inaudible vibrations sending shockwaves through my nerves at each note. I wrapped my arms around his neck, wanting to hold him closer and fill the gap between us.

The most horrible time to walk in on someone was taken as the most opportune time.

"Hey Akane, would you be able to help me with- Aah! Osiris, Isis and Ra I'm sorry!"

I squeaked in shock when Amanet opened the door to the bedroom... and subsequently bolded back out. Great. She just walked in on us at a slightly risqué position. It's really funny how thinking about something happening will make it happen.

Ryou immediately rolled over, letting me sit back upright. I groaned in exasperation at the turn of events before brushing myself off slightly and heading towards the door. I made a point to look back at Ryou, still sitting on my bed with the most embarrassed of faces and smile to him. It made my heart flutter again when he smiled back.

"That was _the most awkward_ thing I've ever had the not-pleasure of walking in on. I'm sorry about that, by the way."

I waved nonchalantly in dismissal.

"It's fine, Amanet. To the point, what was it that you needed help with?"

She gasped in remembrance and started digging into her pockets. I tilted my head in curiosity and was slightly shocked when she pulled out a strange golden chained necklace.

"This is one of the Millennium Items, like the Millennium Ring. It's called the Millennium Necklace. It has the power of premonitions. Bakura and I talked about this just now, and have decided to let you use it, to shed some light on what may occur." My eyes widened in utter shock. _'Premonitions... so seeing the future?'_ I reached out to hold the necklace, but before I could touch it, Amanet paused and grasped onto my arm. "You should know this before you use it: the future is a fickle thing. It can, and _will_ change depending on the actions and desires of people around it. It also may not show you what you want to find. Do _not_ be convinced by what you see, alright?"

I, too, paused before nodding and clasping the necklace together around my neck. I stood silent before muttering,

"Ok, is there a 'start' button or someth-"

The words were taken from my tongue as I was ripped from my world and tossed into the bonds and bindings of the Millennium Necklace.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**Riv: Did I do good?**

**Bakura: No. **

**Riv: D: Bu-but why?**

**Bakura: I had virtually no screen time. **

**Riv: Bu-but why?**

**Bakura: You're the one who wrote it!**

**Riv: Bu-but why?**

**Bakura: I suppose your parents don't love you enough, so you vent your fantasies about them dying fictionally, along with your dreams of finding a sad little albino boy to make 'friends' with.**

**Riv: Hehe, it's funny because it's true...**

**Rena: KONO HENTAI!**

**Riv: ...last time I let you watch anime...**

**Rena: Bu-but why?**

**Riv: *facepalm* Do we **_**really **_**have to start this again? Aaarg, voice number 7, finish this.**

**#7: Alright, miss. RiverTear980 does not own anything other than the plot, Izumi Akane-san, and Amanet-san. If she did, she would not need the voices for company. She would have fangirls surrounding her. LittleKuriboh and Kazuki Takahashi would be saddened to find that the fangirls disappeared. **

**Ah yes, and before I forget, the young miss would like to tell everyone that there is another poll. This is for requests for pairings for a new series that she is beginning. It is on her profile, and she will certainly appreciate the votes. Thank you, and have a nice flight on Air *********

**Riv: ...sure. And reviews! I love them! And you know that you love writing them, **_**right~?**_** Yes you do. Because if you don't, I'm going to get Kuraki-chan to send Shadow-chan after you.**

**Shadow: And I feel scary today ^^**


	12. Chapter 12: What She Saw There

**Hiya! It's time for...**

**Everyone: CHAPTAH TWO! A HELLS YA!**

**Riv: I'm so nice ^^ Now it's review responding time :D**

**Fire Ice and Snowcones: **Yupperdoodles ^^ Thanks for the reviews

**Punk Rock Kitsune: **NOOOO! Don't steal my catchphrase! PLEAAASSSEEEEEE! Wait, didn't we already go over this? Either that, or I'm even more insane than I thought originally xD AND ARIGATOO GOZARIMASU FOR DOING THE POLL (THAT IS WHAT SHE SAID!)

**Stormygio: **KOHAIIIIII! *glomps*And congrats on surviving band camp! And tripping over the podium? No shame, dear. We've all done it once or twice or-

Akane: That's what she said again.

Riv: ... Go to hell, Aka-chan... AND HURRAY FOR UPDATE DESU!

IncurablyAwesome: Welcome to the realm of random Nippon-jin words desu. You have been infected desu. Prepare for total annihilation desu. And unusual pairings are unusual! I have already started on the secret one that is secret, so that's going to be a sexy (mis)adventure! And I was almost not going to update just to get the fic where everyone is tortured oFTo my better judgement made me update desu though. DutchyPuppy: ME IS HAPPY TOOOO! HURRAY DESU! Clairissazeniarosele: I think I spelled it right this time... *checks again* either that, or I'm blinder than Shizuka-chan. And now it's bedtime. *eats breakfast* Kuraki-chan: Shadow, I give you full permission to dress in too much leather articles of clothing, run around with big guns and stalk my non-reviewers :D Just don't kill them, I want their reviews... NOW IT'S TIME FOR STORY! WOOT!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

_The world of the Millennium Necklace seemed almost like reality, but pulled back and whimsical, almost like a dream sequence in a bad movie. 'Huh. Weird already, good start.' I thought to myself._

The concentrated zone of view focused on several things at once. It immediately showed me a strange scenery with a few trees and no buildings. The moon was high in the sky and shone onto a small lake in the background. It was utterly peaceful, until flashing red and blue lights emerge from the darkness. Storms of people came following the vehicles like fish in a fast moving stream, brandishing large guns and dark blue uniforms. On the corner of the view, the familiar forms of Ryou and I were visible.

"Ryou! Ryou, no!" I heard myself screaming. A new, unknown speaker stole my attention.

"A'right kid. Inta th' car wit' cha." A few moments passed, and the only audible sound was that of a car door slamming. The man with the off-sounding drawl spoke again. "Crazy sicko, that one." He laughed audaciously. "He'll be real lucky if he don't get th' 'lectric chair!" Several other people's chuckles joined the man's. Some were happy and outlandish, but others were slightly nervous or apprehensive.

_I fought the necklace's pull to continue watching the detectives (or policemen, whatever they were) and turned to Ryou in the car. His head was down and his hands covered his face. They were shaking visibly, and I was growing close to tears again. I couldn't bear to watch any more of this. I slammed my eyes shut, and suddenly I felt a strange whoosh pass by me. I was afraid to open my eyes to be honest.  
><em>

* * *

><p>"Akane? Are you alright?" I heard Amanet call out to me. I resisted my instincts to ignore the voice and retreat into my mind, and I cracked my eyes open. And there she was; standing in front of me with her hands on my shoulders. "Didn't like what you saw, right?" she whispered. I shook my head almost violently in response. I didn't even want to think about the things I saw anymore. Amanet sighed heavily and half-lidded her eyes.<p>

"So, we're..." she started.

"Completely fucked." I ended.

"No, we're not. Jeez, little miss pessimist." she shot back sarcastically. The only way to describe my facial expression would be "slapped-in-the-face shock."

"What do you mean? The things I saw-"

Amanet shook her head almost furiously.

"The future always changes. The predictions of the Necklace only come true if certain paths are chosen. Odds are that you won't have to deal with what you saw."

I knew that she was trying to make me feel better with her words. I didn't doubt that there wasn't truth to what she was saying, but I still felt really uncomfortable.

* * *

><p>Things were quiet after that. Nobody brought up the situation as it stood, and the news never showed any development on the case. That relieved me more than anything else. Everybody felt like they could breathe easy for the time being.<p>

-(-o-)-

"-Unfortunately, since the body was so decayed, no additional DNA evidence has been found on the body. However, we are still looking for information on the individual or his family. And now, sports-"

Turning off the television and walking to my bedroom, I groaned in both relief and frustration. I was happy that Ryou and Bakura were pretty much safe now, but there was always the chance that I would be taken in for questioning if I was found. And then there was what I saw in the Millennium Necklace. Although Amanet told me that the future always changes, the images portrayed were still frightening to me.

"Shit fucker shit shit shit." I grumbled angrily. "Why is it always me that has all of this fucking weird shit done to?"

A gentle knock took me out of my rage moment. I paced slowly to the door; it wasn't the front door so it shouldn't be any sort of authoritative figure, but you can never be too careful, right? More impatient raps came to the door, wanting me to hurry. When I opened the door and peered out, I was met with an unexpected visitor: Bakura.

"Can we talk for a moment?" he muttered uncharacteristically. I was almost shocked by the tone of his voice. It was a strange mix of his usual melancholy, and something else I had no hope of identifying. I nodded in confirmation and opened the door wider so he could come in. He shrugged and meandered into one of the corner chairs. Plopping ungracefully on it, he crossed his arms and stared at me for a slightly-less-than-awkward period of time.

"Wh-what are you staring at me like that for?" I asked, just a little bit freaked out.

"I was just thinking to myself whether or not it was a good idea to kill your father. I got you and Ryou completely screwed over by my actions."

"If you didn't, my situation wouldn't exist. I would be dead. As for Ryou, you and him would be still sharing a body and everyone would be more depressed than they are now. In my opinion, the shitty result is the best in the pool."

Bakura nodded deeply before standing back up. As he was about to leave, I grasped for his hand. It was cold, like Ryou's, but it was larger and more muscular (if a hand could be as such.)

"That brings me to my next point. You haven't been your usual grade of asshole-ism. What's up with that?"

The Yami smirked at me before turning back towards the open door.

"I've been a total douche for the last three thousand years. I figure that since I'm not going to live to double that number, I may as well try something new once. I don't think I really like being nice though. Don't expect it much."

As the door closed, I fell onto the soft mattress on my bed and exhaled loudly.

"Crazy shit. I ask again, fully rhetorical: why me?"

* * *

><p>There wasn't any more information on the news. That relieved me more than chocolate and tea. And believe me, I like my chocolate and tea. Everyone had finally relaxed a bit after that day. The much needed calm was finally upon us.<p>

"It seemed that it's going into the cold-case state." I said, smiling softly.

"Yes... There's only one thing that makes be happier than knowing that." Ryou breathed. I dropped my head horizontally, in a questioning manner. Sensing my slight confusion, he carried in to say "And I was implying you in that comment."

I sighed slightly and looked up at him with my eyes teasingly narrowed.

"That was soooo cheesy." Ryou's face went red and he turned away from me for a moment. It didn't take long for me to reach for his face to pull him towards me. "I never said it wasn't cute or appreciated, Ryou." I hugged him tightly and breathed in his subtle scent. It was a mixture of vanilla and peppermint from soaps and toothpaste, and whenever I smelled them, I would be brought back to the tender moments we shared together and all troubles in my mind would vanish.

A sudden loud knocking on the door interrupted us, and made us both jump in surprise. Ryou slowly and silently approached the door and eyed through the peek-hole in the door. His eyes widened in fear.

"It's the police!" he whispered in terror. My heart was beating too fast to be counted and horror bubbled in my stomach. My knees were getting wobbly, and my entire body felt like it was going to disintegrate. Ryou slunk away from the door slowly and beaconed me towards the fire escape ladder. I nodded silently and made my way towards the window. As I put my first foot out onto the corroded metal of the ladder, I heard the knocking intensify. I got scared, and started to pick up the pace. However, in my haste, I lost my footing on the ladder, and fell.

"A-Akane!" I heard him cry. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to re-grasp the rails on the ladder. My attempts were nearly in vain, but they did manage to slow me down enough to lighten the drop. When my feet hit the ground, I felt fire shoot up my left foot. I resisted all of my urges to scream in pain. I grunted shrilly and bit my lip. Without warning, a familiar yami emerged from the shadows the buildings cast and scooped me up. I squeaked slightly at the action, but appreciating the chance to get off my foot, which was likely broken. Ryou was now down the ladder, and grabbed my hand.

"Are you alright? I'm so sorry, this is all my fault!" He looked close to tears the way he was now. Bakura looked at us in confusion before muttering

"Anyone care to explain what the fuck is going on? Starting with why Akane just fell 4 stories, preferably."

"The cops found us, so we tried to climb down the emergency escape. I panicked and lost my footing, that's all. On the subject, we _really_ have to get going, and quickly." I spoke quickly to try and add a sense of urgency. Bakura smirked for a second before walking out towards the parking lot to the apartment building.

"Well then, I suppose it's a really good thing that I got this today." He motioned towards a black van parked on the concrete. Amanet was sitting in the passenger seat picking at her nails distantly. When she noticed us coming, she opened the back doors. Bakura, being the ass that he is, tossed me rather unceremoniously onto the seat. Ryou scowled at his yami for a moment before taking the seat beside me. As the yami took his own place in the driver's seat, he muttered

"Alright, let's go."

With that, we sped away into the unknown.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**Riv: I'm such a mean person...**

**Akane: Yeah, you broke my fucking foot, mean bitch!**

**Riv: Watch your motherfucking language, you hoe!**

**Everyone: *Sweatdrop***

**Riv: ...*ahem* So, here marks the adventures outside the apartment! Sorry about the slight filler in there, but I couldn't just leave the chapter alone, plus Baku-chan needed the screen time. My jokes have run dry as well; I haven't slept in nearly a week. Stupid insomnia, fucking me up too much for comfort... MALIK! DISCLAIM!**

**Malik: Why me?... RiverTear980 owns nothing other than Akane and Amanet, the storyline, and the author's notes. She doesn't have a soul of her own, but I suppose now she owns all of yours... Wait, WHAT?**

**Just reminding y'all, review, or else a leather-clad Shadow-chan with big weapons will find you and eat your souls! NYAN DESU~! And vote on poll! I like hearing from you! It's on my profile, and you know you want to press the shiny button ^^ I can see it in your soul.**


	13. Chapter 13: Into Town

**It has been a long time. *avoids rotting fruit* I swear, I have perfectly legitimate reasons for not updating (desu) for so long. Reason the first: marching band. Reason the second: orchestra. Reason the third: school. Reason the most important and most relevant: absolutely no inspiration whatsoever. And I don't care. Throw rotting carrion at me. Just not mangos. I be allergic to mangos xD**

* * *

><p>Chapter 3<p>

"Are you sure it's broken?" I asked quietly. Bakura adverted his narrow gaze from my foot to my own eyes.

"I'm sure of it. Your heel is cracked badly. You see how it's swollen here," he pointed to the middle arch of my bruised extremity, "and here." as he pointed at the back of my heel. It was turning a grotesque shade of purple from the bruising as time passed. The albino Yami sighed heavily. "Fortunately, with my vast experiences of injuries, this one is relatively easy to heal. You have to keep it elevated to reduce the swelling, wrapped up to hold the bones in place, and put ice on it for a while."

I could hear Ryou exhale relieved from his spot in the front seat. He was driving, Amanet was sitting shotgun, and Bakura and I were in the back. I had no idea where we were or where we were headed, but I knew that our goal was to get away so the destination was permanently undefined. We were surrounded by foreign places I had never seen; rolling fields as far as the eye could see and distant mountain silhouettes that traced the edges of the sky. In spite of the jaw-clenching pain in my foot, I was still fascinated by the environment.

A loud smirk from Bakura tore me from my moment of slight peace, and thrust me back into reality. We were still running away from people we couldn't see anymore, doomed from the start because of our situation, and the visions of the Millennium Necklace weighing down on me. Ryou peeked back at me and sighed.

"Why don't I pull over so we can take a break?"

Amanet looked at him with concern.

"Do you think it's safe now?"

Ryou pulled into the shoulder lane and parked the car.

"I haven't seen anyone chasing us or heard any sirens. I can only assume that we're far enough now."

Everyone nodded hesitantly in response. Ryou parked the car in silence, and that's when all hell broke loose.

Well, not really.

The second the car stopped, Amanet bolted out of the car and sprinted about 400 meters forward. We all stood there rigidly, in awe of her speed. If this was a cartoon, there would be long dust clouds and whirlwinds following behind her. About 20 seconds later she returned to the side of the van panting slightly.

"What was that all about?" Ryou murmured loudly.

Amanet smirked as Bakura rubbed his temples in exasperation.

"I just can't _stand_ sitting around in one place for so long! It's unbearable!"

I tried hobbling out of the van to figure out what she was doing, but stumbled and fell over. Ryou flinched and dashed to catch me, holding me above the gravel-coated ground. We both laughed quietly in embarrassment, and then he brought be back to a vertical position. During the long pause of quiet serenity, I reached in to the car and brought out a map. As I traced along the roads from Ryou's apartment to where I believed we were, I noticed a few things: one of which being a small town not far from here.

"You guys, since the sun is starting to set, how about we find somewhere to stay the night? There's a town about 20 kilometers from here that likely has a motel or something." Everyone paused from their facepalm moment, courtesy of Amanet, and looked at me. Bakura was the first to speak up.

"Yeah. I have to admit, I'm starting to get sick and tired of watching the world pass by from the inside of a bloody automobile."

"Me too! There's nothing to do and it's really uncomfortable to sleep in." Amanet agreed.

We enjoyed the last few minutes on the side of the road before returning to the car. A few grunts and groans left the two ancient spirits' throats, but otherwise the minutes left in the car were suspended in nerve-wracking impatience.

==About 25 minutes later==

"Wow... This place is actually not as much of a pig sty than I thought..." Bakura gandered as he peered through the window at the town beyond.

The municipality wasn't in any way under-populated, and everywhere you looked there were more and more people. The feeling was toned up by the near dismal size of the town itself; it could not have been more than 5 square kilometers in area. The roadsides were dotted with large flower-bearing trees and smaller bushes, and everywhere was more colorful than the last place you looked. On the roads, there weren't many cars or motorcycles, but they were still used by either bikers or walkers. The buildings were mostly Victorian or Edwardian in style, showing off the subtle grace and deep colors. The entire area was like a sudden time warp into a calmer era where situations like ours were less common and much easier to rid oneself of.

Even I couldn't stop myself from gawking at the sheer grace of the town. Ryou, who had since switched positions with Bakura to sit beside me, was also gazing at the serene place in awe. His hand laid gently on mine, our fingers intertwined as well. For some reason they felt colder than usual, and his skin was slightly clammy. I adverted my attention from the architecture and design to focus on Ryou. His eyes were staring in an almost dead manner, unreadable to his outer feeling, but letting his real emotions show. It was odd; despite the lovely views, he still seemed incredibly depressed. Who could blame him though? He was dragged into a whole murder situation without any consent on his part, and was entirely blamed for it. As I stared questioningly at him he smile weakly, but I knew that there was something more going on than that in his mind.

"Can I...talk to you a bit later?" I whispered to him. He nodded shallowly before letting his chin rest on my shoulder. Tufts of long white hair fell in front of his face and brushed against my neck. I laughed inwardly before taking a few small pieces and braiding them together. When Ryou peered down to see my (unmentionably rough) handiwork, he took it between his fingers and started poking me in the cheek; smiling the whole time.

What am I to do but smile back?

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**I told you I had no inspiration. I warned you. **

**WARNING DESU WARNING DESU SHE HAS NO INSPIRATION DESU!**

**Oh. Well that came a tad late...**

**Ryou: What about that thing that you were planning on doing with the thing and the thing in that place and the thing?**

**Me: I swear to Ra I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. Oh. YOU CRAZY PERSON! I'M NOT KILLING YOU OFF!**

**Ryou: ...good.**

**Me: ...yet. **

**Ryou: 0.o**

**Me: I jest. Akane-chan! Disclaim desu!**

**Akane: RiverTear980 owns nothing. Her soul died a few days back too. Be prepared for sadistic bastardness in the coming chapters.**

**Me: Yup. And big mega kawaii desu hugs out to my reviewers!**

**Adorehim88**

**DutchyPuppy**

**clairissazeniarosele**

**Kuraki-chan**

**Punk Rock Kitsune**

**Stormygio**

**Mirria **

**and Fire Ice and snowcones!**

**Thank you all! I luffles you and even you who didn't review, I love you too! NOW REVIEW! ^^**

**Oh yeah. After you review, go on my profile and vote on the poll if you haven't already! I like seeing what you think! And what you think right now is making me happy!**


	14. Chapter 14: In the Heat of the Night

**WARNING DESU WARNING DESU CONTAINS LEMON DESU!**

**That's right, ladies and gentlemen! This chapter is rated M for smut! (as I feel proud of myself) If you don't want to read the smexy times, skip over the last part of the fic. I shall indicate (desu) where it starts.**

**A super awesome hug to all of my reviewers!**

**Adorehim88**

**Destiny Xavier16**

**DutchyPuppy**

**Stormygio**

**Kuraki-chan**

**and IncurablyAwesome**

**Akane: Where's Punkie-chan?**

**Me: *cries* I don't know! She...She-**

**Punkie-chan: What?**

**Me: *sniff sniff* WAAAAAAHHHHHH!**

**Punkie-chan: Errr... *sweatdrop***

**And once again, I am so sorry for the shitty quality of chapter 13/3, I had this idea in my head, and it was just a matter of getting to it. Then...well, it just died from there. Yeah. So, this chapter (with relatively quick update (desu)) is my apology for that. **

* * *

><p>Chapter 4<p>

Bakura pulled the black van into the parking lot of a small motel. It was rather quaint; no unnecessary extravagance or anything to that extent. The motel consisted of one two- story building painted off-white with light navy trim bordering the windows and corners. In front of the entrance there was a small flower and sapling garden.

The check-in process was simpler than I would have ever imagined. Bakura took a random wad of bills out of his jacket pocket and said,

"One night, two rooms."

The innkeeper gave him a blunt look and took the money. Rummaging through a drawer, he pulled out two keys for rooms.

Nothing else was said.

I suppose...that's good?

The room arrangement was as follows: Amanet with Bakura, and me with Ryou. I blushed beet-red when I discovered that, but persevered with the decision; I still had to talk to him.

The two dark halves retired to bed early, (and by early, I mean before us, as it certainly was late by the time we got to the place) while Ryou and I sat in our room in uneasy stills.

"Umm, Ryou?" I murmured. "Are you alright?"

His face fell to the floor before he responded.

"Yes, I'm fine-"

I couldn't accept that.

"You most certainly are not fine! I can tell you're upset, so let it out! Tell me what's going on in your head right now. Please?"

The whitette sighed and shrugged.

"It's everything, Akane-chan. A few months ago, I would only leave my house to go grocery shopping and such. Now, we've been chased from our home by people who think I killed your father. Wouldn't anyone be a bit more than depressed in this kind of situation?"

I couldn't say anything to counter that. Everything was true. Although Bakura should be the one being pursued, he committed the crime from within Ryou's body, thus showing no evidence of the Yami's involvement in the crime.

"Hurray for crappy predicaments." I mumbled sarcastically. Hobbling over to the bed where Ryou was sitting from a chair in the corner, I sat down beside him and embraced his shoulders firmly.

"I don't want you to be unhappy. I know that it's difficult now, but there's always darkness before the dawn, right? So _we_ _have_to make it through this; and I believe with all my heart that we can, and will."

His endless brown eyes met mine in surprise. Behind all of the initial reaction, another feeling shone stronger than any other: pure love. Squeezing out of the embrace, he stood over me and clasped my chin. With a gentle pull, he brought his lips to mine. They started off slow and soft with light touches and caresses, but they gradually grew more passionate; almost needy to a certain extent. Ryou's chest pressed against my body, pushing me over onto my back. The squishy spring of the mattress bounced a bit as I hit, but it didn't interrupt either of us; nothing could now.

**==The lemon. It begins now desu. Advert your eyes should you desire. But you don't _really_ want to do that. No...==**

I was now sprawled on the bed, fiery red hair flowing out around my head on a rather disorganized manner, and my love was half laying-half sitting over me, balanced on his forearms situated on either side of my head. His delicate lips wandered from my own and started tracking down my jaw and neck. I couldn't help but moan as he did that. The feeling was indescribable; shivers ran down my spine with every touch. Everything I had ever known was pounding through me with every beat of my heart. It wasn't too long before my entire body felt like it was on fire! Gazing at Ryou's perfectly symmetrical face with half-lidded eyes, I could sense my heart more and more with the fire that raged inside my body.

Untold units of time passed, and before I could tell what was going on, Ryou and I were both shirtless. His (warmer than his usual ice-cold, but still rather chilled) hands ran up and down along my waist until they stopped at my bra. He didn't remove it like I expected him to, but he worked his fingers under the fabric and started rubbing my nipple. Shockwaves of pleasure went coursing through my entire body as he touched me, and I couldn't stop myself from moaning under my breath. Ryou smiled at my responses and pressed harder, played a bit rougher.

This side of him was foreign to me, but I would never say that it didn't turn me on. In fact, every forceful touch made me...want him even more. I rolled us over so I was straddling his hips, and gazed down at his pale form. He was blushing heavily as I looked longingly at him. Every muscle on his flawless abs was, well, flawless. They were toned, but not protruding grotesque masses. I leaned over and nibbled at his ear sensually.

"I...I want to..." I breathed, but never finished by sentence.

Gradually sliding down his chest, I made my way to his pant waist. I swiftly did away with the button and zipper before dragging them off his thin legs. The hardening lump of an erection was even more obvious than usual now, and he was left only in his briefs, which I also pulled off, releasing his throbbing member.

And let me say, it was in no way, in concern to size, insignificant.

The whitette's blush deepened to a wine-red as I ran my lips down his lower abdomen.

"A-Akane..." he whispered breathily. I extended my tongue to lick from the head of his cock to the base, tasting the slightly salty pre-cum leaking from it. His groans were audible now, moaning for me.

"S-stop teasing me... Akane-..."

I chuckled slightly before complying and took his entirety into my mouth. His breath hitched as it entered, and it continued throbbing as my tongue made its way around his rock-hard shaft. At some point I started sucking on it too, listening to the revelry of Ryou's voice.

I could sense that he was almost at his end. At that point, I removed his cock from my mouth and sat up. Ryou looked at me questioningly with half-lidded eyes. I smirked humorlessly before undoing the clasps on my pants and bra. Sending both to the floor, I returned to my position straddling over him. His eyes widened in astonishment before whispering into my ear.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

I nodded and kissed along his jaw line. Not hesitating whatsoever, he grabbed at my panties and removed them quickly. I was already wet from the exhilaration of our most recent escapades, and he bowled me back over so he was on top. I wrapped my legs around his waist and muzzled my face into the crook of his neck. He took a quick second to adjust himself before plunging into me. It was a strange sort of pain: unarmed enough to inspire reaction, but still made me want to cry out in ecstasy. Every barrier I had ever build to protect myself from the world was suddenly broken in that one instant. As I cried out, Ryou stopped his movements, seemingly in concern.

"Please...Ryou move. Move faster..." I begged. It was out of my character to beg for anything, I thought, bit at this point I deemed it appropriate. He didn't wait long before pulling out slightly, only to thrust back in harder. I had clearly died and gone to heaven. Every feeling I experienced; be it his cock pounding into me or fondling my breasts between his fingers, forced loud gasps and moans out of my lips between fierce kisses.

In this existence, there was no "time" or "world" in which we lived. All there was was the roaring pleasure coursing through our bodies as we became one. The situation we were in didn't matter, nor did we ever pause from our love-making to think of it. To me, all there was to life was Ryou, and I have no doubt in my mind he was feeling the same thing.

I felt my walls clamp around him as I reached the peak of my orgasm. Nothing could dampen the sound of me crying out my lover's name as I felt him release inside of me. It was odd; I had never felt so... complete.

"Akane, I love you. My heart, no matter what may befall us, will forever be yours." he whispered into my ear as he pulled himself out. I was utterly spent, I hardly had enough energy to stay awake much longer. Before I fell asleep, though, I did say something:

"And mine with yours, Ryou. I could never say how much I love you... I want us to stay this way forever..."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**Well, that was my first lemon. My dear friend Morgen thought I was a total perv because I was descriptive...and also because I wrote it in school (which is frowned upon, apparently) and in the back seat of a car where my parents were driving. COMPLETELY CONSPICUOUS DESU! Approximately 66.3% of this chapter is citrus. Me=hentai...**

**Rena: KONO HENTAI!**

**...Anywho.**

**This chapter is dedicated to my soul sister Punk Rock Kitsune (if you haven't checked out her stuff...CHECK IT OUT SHE'S EFFING AMAZING!) who proved that het lemons actually exist on this website. Pro. Skills. ^^ And now... Robot Monkey Tristan, DISCLAIM DESU!**

**Tristan Timothy Taylor: Riv-chan owns absolutely nothing! Even her soul died! It really sucks, because now she is developing multiple personalities within her mind to compensate!**

**Akane: I'm one of em!**

**Rena: As am I.**

**Ryou: I just sit around doing nothing.**

**Marik: KILL YOUR FAMILY KILL YOUR FAMILY KILL YOUR FAMILY KILL YOUR FAMILY KILL YOUR FAMI-**

**Me: NOOOO MAKE THE VOICES STOP!**

**Tristan: You are the only one who understands me, Riv-chan's boobs!**

**Errr... awkward.**

**Remember to vote on the poll! I have had 9 voters and I'm going to be greedy and say "I WANT MOAR DESU!" **

**This is Riv, signing out! Ja ne!**

**(Did you see that, Punkie-chan? Now **_**your**_** catchphrase hath been stolen! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!)**


	15. Chapter 15: Interception

**HEYYYY! Well, this took a bit longer than I originally expected, but what is one to do about that? Mega super special awesome thank-you's to my beautiful and gorgeous reviewers, who all get home-made cookies desu ^^**

**DutchyPuppy**

**YamiGirl314**

**Stormygio**

**Kuraki-chan**

**Punk Rock Kitsune**

**Fire Ice and snowcones**

**Adorehim88**

**and Aya Ayame!**

**Without a doubt, they were some of the best reviews I have ever gotten. Especially Kuraki-chan's. TROLOLOL~! Indeed. When he gets it, HE GETS IT xDDDDDD**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

I awoke to chilled morning sunlight streaming through the fluttering drapes. I myself was cold, seeing as I had fallen asleep over the covers of the bed. A light sheet had been placed over me, presumably by Ryou, but it didn't do much to block out the unfeeling cold of the morning. The silence of the room was deafening, as paradoxal as that is. Other than the small amount of body heat emanating from my nude figure, the bed was frigid.

"R-Ryou...?"

More sickening silence.

I started to worry. No, worry is not a strong enough term. It was honestly more of a panic.

'Could he have been taken? Where is he? Shit in a mother fucking bucket!'

I put some clothes on in a rush; dashing as fast as I could with a gimped-up foot; around to find the articles strewn upon the floor from last night's escapade. My black tank top was in front of the bathroom and my jeans were on the other side of the room!

Organizational skills were never my strong suit. But, I would imagine that would be fairly obvious at this point.

Just as I got to the door, it opened on it's own volition. I backed away startled, but relaxed immediately after seeing Ryou's pale face in the doorway. Surprise was obvious on his face as he walked in the door.

"What's the matter, Akane-chan? You seem rather flustered." he asked me rather concerned. With a sigh, I shrugged my shoulders in dismissal.

"Nothing; just some slight situational confusion. I'm fine."

Ryou narrowed his deep brown eyes, (apparently evaluating me, or so I would imagine) and then enveloped me in his arms. It took my mind a moment for me to comprehend the random act of tenderness.

"Remember what I told you? I'll always be there for you, and I'll always be yours." he whispered slowly. I hummed at some pitchless note, floating into his chest. A knock at the semi-closed door brought us back to reality. With a light giggle, I stood up straight and opened the door fully. Amanet and Bakura were standing behind the frame.

"You know, we shouldn't stay here longer than we need to. Shall we get going then?" Amanet said in a rather matter-of-fact manner. Ryou and I nodded in tandem before gathering what was left of our belongings and heading towards the van.

Oh, how I _loathed_the idea of getting back in there. The swelling in my foot seemed to have gone down, but it still hurt like a chainsaw on bare flesh. None the less, I knew it was necessary to keep fleeing. Waiting until I healed was not a luxury we had at this point. Getting into the passenger seat at the front was no easy job, but somehow I made it. Ryou was sitting in the front with me, taking the wheel for the morning. He wasted no time whatsoever getting out of that town. I was rather saddened; leaving that beautifully serene area, but I knew that we couldn't stay too long. I sighed deeply as he accelerated to the speed limit for the highway, and stared absently out of the window. Darkened storm clouds floated above us, blocking the sun from sight. The fields that Were around us were swaying acutely due to the wind from the approaching storm. Within the car was completely silent, other than the gentle sound of our breathing and slight shifts in positions.

What a depressing scene.

* * *

><p>Hours passed.<p>

How long were we sitting there?

I couldn't tell you even if I tried.

We took a quick pit-stop at a gas station at the side of the road to re-fuel the vehicle. This time, Amanet didn't run off to stretch her legs. She just sat there looking gloomy. It shocked me that she wasn't jumping off the wall like the regular bipolar, ADHD person she was.

As I approached her, I felt her demeanour change to a forced sense of happiness.

"Oh, hey Akane. How's your, um, foot doing today?"

I sat beside her, thwumping down with the grace of a drunken pirate.

"What's with you today? No super pent up energy to release?"

She stared at me with blank eyes. Her silence was rather unnerving, so I placed my hand over hers.

"Amanet?"

She remained statically placed. Her body was incredibly dense and rigid, though could break without a moment's notice.

"...I-"

She was interrupted by the sound of approaching vehicles. They were loud, and going very fast. Not to mention there were at least five of them coming. Everyone's guard was raised, and I hobbled over to where Ryou was standing. He too was darting his eyes around, nervously trying to come up with an idea. Even Bakura looked slightly panicked.

Before we could even breathe, police cars upon police cars were upon us. No matter where we looked, all that could be seen were those white and blue sedans with flashing lights on top of them. As several uniformed men came flooding out of the cars, Bakura let out a snarl.

"Amanet, Ryou, Akane, get out of here."

Ryou's eyes widened.

"B-but, Yami-"

_**"I said go!"**_

His voice cracked slightly as he yelled at us. Amanet searched his crimson eyes desperately, making all attempts at finding anything until he turned back and stepped towards the swarm of officers.

"Well good morning gentlemen." he chuckled over-sarcastically. "Now, what brings all of you fine people to this insanely obscure place today?"

The hoard tensed around the comment, but maintained ground. One of the men emerged and walked slowly towards Bakura. He was an older man, probably in his 40's or 50's, with greying hair and early wrinkles on his face. His demeanour was serious to the point of a "I will kill you if you mess with me." tone.

"I am Detective Usui, of the Domino Homicide Faction." He produced a small card and a badge. "My purpose with you is the arrest of one Bakura Ryou. He is wanted on the charges of murder, aggravated assault and thievery."

If there was ever a time I wanted to kill Bakura, this would have to place itself on the top if the list.

"How are we going to get out of this? I mean, there are police everywhere!" Ryou whispered to me. The detective saw us talking, and he glared at Ryou with a ferocity I would have never hoped to see in a person. He shrunk back almost immediately, and didn't say a word afterwards.

The detective narrowed his eyes menacingly and started to move slowly closer to us. I was frightened; that goes without saying, but I had to be strong. I had to keep my head held high not just for myself, but for everyone else's sakes. The agent took my bout of courage as some sort of challenge. Scoffing disrespectfully, he pushed Amanet and Bakura an glared at me.

"Now, what's a _little girl_doing with murderers and thieves, huh?" His dry, calluses fingers pushed my chin up to face his eye level. Glaring back, I resisted all urges to spit in his face and shout endlessly at him.

"There are no murderers here. Now, if you would be _so kind_, we really must be going."

He smirked wryly.

"I wouldn't be thinking of going anywhere, Izumi Akane-san."

I gasped in shock.

"H-how the hell do you know my name?" I whispered vexed. I tore away from Detective Usui, and right back beside Ryou. He put his hands on my shoulders in an attempt to comfort me. I couldn't stop myself from shaking though.

Usui laughed harshly.

"It's hard to run away with your faces known everywhere, isn't it?" He turned away from me and glared teasingly at Ryou. "Bakura Ryou, you are under arrest."

I felt tears welling up in my eyes.

_**Was this really the end?**_

As the detective approached Ryou bearing handcuffs, his body shook in fear. His ever-bright eyes were shadowed and dark with despair. My focus was so dead-set on his expression, and I was completely heartbroken.

Then, out of nowhere, bright streams of red sprayed across the canvas of my vision. It was silent for a breathtaking moment before I realized what had happened. In front of us were two people: one of them was Bakura, with a knife in hand and a seething expression; and Detective Usui, on the ground, with grotesque volumes of blood pouring and spurting from his slashed throat. In the Yami's bloodied hand, was an equally gory pocketknife.

"Y-Yami? Wh-" Ryou stuttered, horrified and stunned.

"Start running. We don't have much time." he growled. His eyes were iced even more than I had ever seen them before. To be honest, it terrified me.

A cry from the masses of uniformed people stole my attention from him. The surrounding officers rustled, revealing a young man holding his gun shakily.

"You-you damn bastard! How could you do that?"

Bakura glared at the boy before turning away from him as if saying "I'm not bothering to listen to you".

The boy snarled in desperate exasperation before cocking the gun.

_**"DON'T TURN AWAY FROM ME!"**_

"_Bakura! Watch out!_"

A shot rang through the solemn empty plains that surrounded us. A body fell, slumping on the dirt-ridden ground.

But it wasn't Bakura's.

It was Amanet's.

I stared incredulously at her shrivelled form laying on the ground. Crimson blood was pouring out of her abdomen, and before I could even say anything, Bakura was kneeling on the ground beside her; tears threatening to pour from his mahogany eyes.

"Amanet! Amanet, stay with me!"

She looked up at him with blurred vision.

"A..Akefia... Are...you alright?" Her voice was hoarse and quiet. The bullet must have punctured one of her lungs.

"Why... Why did you do that? Why did you shield me from that?"

"Because... it-it was fate. The Necklace..." She grabbed her neck, where lo and behold, the Millennium Necklace was clasped. Shining brightly in the overcast sky, it seemed to mock the situation.

"WHY?" Bakura nearly screamed. He was beyond crying at this point, and his tears were streaming down his face unrelentlessly. "Weren't you the one that always told me, all of those years ago, that fate and destiny were just words that the damned priests used to terrorize the people into loyalty? You, who broke the chain of fate?"

She coughed herself into a weak smile. Blood came up as she coughed, and it lined the outside of her lips.

"I did... didn't I? I suppose..it's a way that I can prove to you...by giving up my life, I never betrayed you to the Pharaoh... I can die...of my own accord.."

Bakura squeezed her into a tight embrace. He was getting soaked in her blood, but it seemed he couldn't care less at this point.

"You can't die! I'll-"

He was stopped mid-statement by Amanet's cold hand reaching up and touching his cheek.

أنا أحبك، ولكن عليك أن تذهب اسمحوا لي. يمكننا أن نكون الآن مجانا..."" she whispered.

Bakura froze, before lowering his head in sorrow. Amanet...didn't say anything else.

She died almost immediately after saying...whatever it was she said.

Ryou and I stood completely motionless behind Bakura during this ordeal. It was as if our feet had been iced over and bound to the ground. The police, as well, were unmoving.

"Leave us."

I lifted my eyes to Bakura. He was angry without a doubt, but there was another emotion I had no hope of identifying on his face. I grabbed Ryou's wrist, and we silently retreated into the fields behind us.

After a few moments, he stood up from Amanet's lifeless body, and tore the Millennium Ring from under his shirt.

"_**Let's have some fun." **_he snarled.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**Amanet: TT-TT Am I really...**

**Bakura: Don't worry! I'm **_**sure**_** Riv-dono has some sort of plot bunny to save you!**

**Riv: ... *cough cough***

**Bakura: *glare face***

**Riv: Ummm...vote on the poll and review? Before Baku-chan kills me? Please?**

**Akane: You don't want her to die... She can't fix the plot if she's dead.**


	16. Chapter 16: What Now?

**LATE UPDATE IS LATE GOMENASAI!**

**Everyone: Gomen.**

**Riv: I've been stupidly busy with school, midterms, friend drama, band, and the list goes on.**

**Ryou: Now you're just making excuses.**

**Riv: I know :'( But hey, I'm FINALLY updating~! And a shout out + cookies to my wonderfultasticsuper-special-awesome reviewers~!**

**Stormygio~!**

**Punk Rock Kitsune~!**

**Fire Ice and snowcones~!**

**YamiGirl314~! (as I literally just realized, is pi... you can tell I'm not too observant.)**

**Adorehim88~!**

**Rhamana~!**

**And even though you didn't sign in, I knew it was you Miss Kuraki-chan~! TROLOLOL.**

**Now, on to the long awaited chapter (I'M SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG O.O)**

**Chapter 6  
><strong>  
>There was nothing I could do. Nothing. I couldn't stop any of the deaths. All I could do was watch as Bakura tore through endless people's lives.<p>

My father.

The detective.

All of the innocent officers he was murdering ruthlessly.

I could do nothing but stand there, held by Ryou, as we watched the psychotic Yami kill and kill again.

Soon the tortured screams stopped.

The silence was uneasy.

Suddenly, the tall grasses that surrounded us began rustling.

"Someone's coming!" I hissed.

We dropped to the ground; listening, waiting, hoping that it was a friendly face that emerged from the tall golden stems.

I could feel my heartbeat throughout my body, and could hear the blood rushing by my ears. I squeezed Ryou's hand in fear. He thus held me tighter and closer to him.

The rustling and shuffling stopped. Within the wild grasses was one blood-drenched Bakura. His eyes glowed with a sinister, yet sorrowful shine, and his frown was replaced with an emotionless expression.

The pain of losing the woman he loved was still obvious though.

"Bakura..." I muttered under my breath. He looked down at me and grunted.

"We can't stay here long. I'm only *so* good at hiding dead bodies."

"You..." Ryou started, "You killed all of them?"

The Yami's eyes redirected towards the Hikari.

"Only the ones that came at me. The rest will live out the rest of their pathetic existences as rocks and blades of grass."

I couldn't tell whether he was being sarcastic or serious.

The pained look on Ryou's face suggested the latter.

As we emerged from the field and headed back towards the van, the expression on Ryou's face did not fade. When we approached Amanet's body for a pseudo-burial, he still appeared tortured by his mentality.

"Ryou...? Are you going to be alright?" I murmured in his ear. He looked at me with a face that could have made even me cry.

"It's all my fault." he whispered, gazing at the girl's lifeless body. "If it wasn't for me, she would still be alright. I knew I should have turned myself in; I just knew it! Why didn't I listen to my gut?"

I grabbed his shoulders and gazed intensely into his clouded chocolate eyes.

"There was _nothing_ that you could have done to change this! Some things happen because they _have_to happen. If they didn't, the world would probably blow up! Then EVERYONE would be goners!"

"Akane, your attempt at optimistic humour has failed." Bakura groaned sarcastically.

I turned to him swiftly and growled,

"Shut the fuck up, Kura, you're not helping!"

He was taken aback severely by my verbal attack, but didn't start a rebuttal. On the contrary; he backed away. When I turned back to Ryou, he still seemed incredibly down. I did my best to calm myself before I started speaking again.

"Look, I don't know if there could have been anything we could have done to help her, but what's done is done; there's no changing the past. Everything happens for a reason, and what that reason is is the light at the end of the tunnel, right? What we need to do now is keep on moving so we can find whatever that is, alright?"

He lifted his listless eyes to mine. There was still so much negativity behind them, and they were buried under a covering of false happiness.

"Yeah. We should probably... finish up here then move on. We don't know when more people might come."

I didn't want to comment on his apparent emotions, and even much so talk to Bakura about any of these matters. They were both extremely unstable right now, and who knows what might set them off next?

As per Ryou's suggestion, we buried Amanet relatively quickly before getting back in the van and driving off. The melancholic normality of the plains spread the feeling across what was left of our group. Ryou did nothing but sit, staring out the window and sighing. Bakura was uncomfortably static in his place driving, not speaking or changing position once. As for me, I sat awkwardly in the middle of it, mentally begging one of them to start up a conversation to break the disturbing silence we were suspended in. But I don't think that anything anyone could say would settle the tense air hanging about us.

Both of them were so tense, I felt like the simplest think would make them snap.

It was almost sunset when we came across the next town. We stopped at a small gas bar before booking ourselves in at a small motel. Everything about it screamed "sketchy", but it was cheap. Seeing as we were practically nomadic at this point, money was rather tight.

Later that night, I noticed that Ryou was acting strange; strange being more depressed than the rest of us. His eyes were hollow and blank, and he didn't respond to anything!

"Ryou?" I whispered. "Are you alright?"

He was still silent. From across the room, I heard a loud slamming sound. Before I knew what was going on, Bakura had Ryou by the neck of his shirt and dangling slightly above the ground. Just as I was about to slap the Yami across the face, he snarled and said,

"Man up, Yadonushi. We're all depressed over what happened to Amanet, but you don't need to overdo it like a PMSing girl! Get. The fuck. Over it."

Ryou winced at the sheer poison in Bakura's voice but when he stayed silent, Bakura grunted and practically threw him against the wall.

I ran towards Ryou and knelt down to the ground. His eyes were no longer blank, but they were shrouded in fear. I grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet, and then bolted rigidly to Bakura. I clenched my fist angrily and slapped him across the face, leaving a large red handprint on his cheek.

"How dare you! We are all on edge, and the last thing I want us doing is engaging in internal strife, but by all means, we both have a right to be angry at you. After all, it was you that killed all of those people, including the main cause of all of this chaos. Ryou is trying so hard to keep it together, and you're just adding kindling to the fire! Do you honestly expect everything to be alright after what has happened these last few months?" All I wanted to do was punch the Yami for every hating word that had been spoken to Ryou, but my intrusive conscience held her against it. "You're not the only one suffering, Bakura. We all are heartbroken over Amanet's death. Would you just...try to relax for a motherfucking second?"

Bakura was silent and unmoving. His crimson-brown eyes were lowered to the ground and misted. He broke the still by raising his head before whipping around back to the desk where he was sitting before. After I (rather childishly) stuck my tongue out behind his back, I turned back to Ryou, who was standing timidly in the corner. As I approached him, I could see him visibly shrink into the wall, but that didn't stop me. I grabbed his quivering hands and held them tight.

"I'm sorry Ryou. I didn't want you to see me like that... I just...got so upset at Bakura and I couldn't help myself... Ever since Amanet died, I've felt this stabbing pain in my heart. It might be because of that spell we cast to separate us, but I can't know for sure." He kept his face to the ground as I spoke, and I felt like he was still wallowing in grief.

"You're not alone. Just know that, ok?" A pressed a brief kiss on his lips before slowly turning around.

'I don't know what to do anymore...'

I took one step before something held onto my arm. I peered around and saw Ryou's pale hand wrapped around my forearm, shaking but still strong.

"I'm sorry." he whispered. His voice cracked as slow tears descended his face. "I'm so sorry..."

I hated seeing him like this. He was so heartbroken that he was falling apart in front of me. The part of him that was always smiling, looking on the 'bright side', and the loving boyfriend I knew still lived in him had disintegrated into a weak-minded human, hopeless and lost in despair.

"Stop apologizing." I muttered. "If you want to fix this, then you know what you need to do. Keep going and hold your head high. When you're depressed, nobody can be happy. I know that what has happened these last few days have been trying, but we have to keep going, so be a man and do what you think is right!"

I felt like a cheap motivational poster for a moment, but I did my best to brush it off. My miniature corny speech seemed to hit its mark though, because Ryou seemed to lighten up marginally.

"Th-thanks, Akane. I'll try." he whispered.

The rest of the night was normal enough. We got some (admittedly terrible) Chinese food before getting ready for bed. Bakura arranged himself relatively quickly on the oddly upholstered sofa while Ryou and I settled on the bed.

And before I knew it, I was fast asleep.

_I found myself in a lush meadow, surrounded by flowers and bright green grass. I didn't think about the obvious grandeur of the dream, but rather started running through the grasses without a care in my mind. Suddenly, the ground disappeared from beneath me. I felt myself falling to an uncertain place, and I hit water. Immediately, I started panicking._

'No! Anything but this! Ryou-'

_My mentality started to regress. I went back to that afternoon 10 years ago when my father held my head under the water until he passed out of drunkenness. I couldn't breathe, couldn't think at all. A lot of people think I'm a tough person, but in reality, I'm terribly fragile. Despite adversity that I faced head-on, things that some would find insignificant scare me half to death. Water is one of those things. I started flailing my arms and legs sporadically, hoping that someone-anyone would help me._

'But this is a dream. Nobody would help me...' I thought to myself. 'After all, who would?'

_A golden ray of light woke me from my delirium. I whipped my head around (although it took at least double the energy from the water resistance) trying to find the source, but it came from all around, so it was a futile effort. Whispers started filling the space around me as well, and the feeling of drowning began fading. I could breathe under the surface of the water somehow. 'A great divine prank this dream is.' The hushed voices grew slowly louder and clearer. Behind the words were what sounded like a child's crying. The words were distinct now, and their voices seemed familiar as well._

_"Come on, don't leave me like this..."_

_"Don't cry..."_

_"Can you forgive me for trying to care?"_

_"I love you more than words can describe."_

_"_

_I'm sorry"_

_The statements weren't even in a conversation; they were more like chaos. The apology came across very loud though, as if it bore more importance._

"Wake up." _someone commanded through the fluid-like atmosphere._

_"What...?" I muttered through half-lidded eyes._

"Wake up and find him. Keep him close, before it's too late." _the voice repeated. The tone seemed familiar... I recognized it as Amanet's!_

_"What do you mean, Amanet?"_

_She didn't respond to my question, but instead roared,_

"Go, now!"

With the final yell, I bolted upright in bed. I was panting heavily and a thin layer of sweat covered my body. It took a couple of seconds for me to calm down from...whatever nightmare that was. I ran my fingers through my hair and sighed.

'_It's only a dream. But...what was that? What did it mean?'_

I let my eyes wander in the dark room. The only source of illumination came from the moon, which was shining brightly outside the open window. Wait, why was it open? I was sure I had closed it...

And that's when I noticed: Ryou wasn't there. At first, I disregarded it and thought he might just be in the bathroom or something, but the light was off and the door was locked.

"He's an idiot, you know?" a low voice called out. I whipped my head around to where Bakura was sitting, his head in his hands and shrouded in darkness.

"Wh-what do you mean? Where is Ryou?" I asked, growing slightly more panicked by the second. Instead of responding to me verbally, he threw a small envelope towards me. Curious, I opened it. The contents reduced me to tears.

"_Dear Akane,_

_If you are reading this, it means that I'm not here anymore. There's something I want to tell you. Even though it was, in fact, Yami that killed your father, he wasn't the only one inflicting the blows. Therefore, I am as guilty as he is for the crime committed. When I saw what was going on, I guess that tiny bit of courage inside of me started reacting to you. Ever since then, I knew that I was in love with you. No matter what happened, I felt my heart beat faster when you spoke to me, or touched my hand. Even when you hit Yami in the head with that frying pan (yes, I know about that. Good job, haha) I couldn't help but smile; a genuine smile, not for show like I used to, which is revolutionary for me. When we made love... my heart set on fire. Every layer of ice that had built up in my soul was instantly melted by that one act. I love you more than I could describe, do know that. But because of my love for you, I have to go. I'm turning myself in to the police. After what happened to Amanet, I kept thinking to myself, "What if that was Akane? What would I do then?" Eventually I just couldn't bear it any more. _

_I hope that my actions make sense to you. I want to keep you out of harm's way. Isn't that the reason we're all here anyway? That's what I think, if it matters._

_With all my love,_

_Ryou"_

"I tried to stop him..." Bakura muttered. "But he just wouldn't listen to anything I had to say. And then he told me to give you this. I didn't read it; I'm not going to invade your privacy this time."

As tears pressed against my eyes, I felt my hands shaking around the small letter.

"He...he really is an idiot, isn't he?... Leaving us behind without really saying goodbye? That's just too cruel." My voice never left a whisper, but I knew that Bakura could hear me. After a short moment of silence, a sudden wave of nausea rolled across my stomach. I rushed to the bathroom and subsequently vomited.

Bakura followed me in silence and held my hair out of my face. When I stopped throwing up and caught my breath, the Yami let my hair down and said something I wouldn't have ever thought of.

"You two...did you sleep together?"

My face flashed red as soon of the words left his lips.

"I-I, I mean, we-"

It was too obvious.

**I was pregnant with Ryou's child.**

**-(-o-)-**

**A/N:**

**Akane: You're such a bitch, you know that?**

**Riv: If I didn't, I wouldn't flaunt it and make it dreadfully obvious.**

**Everyone: O.O; **

**Riv: Hehe... SOMEBODY DISCLAIM DESU~!**

**Shizuka: Ooh, I've always wanted to try this! RiverTear980 does not own Yu-Gi-Oh, even though in her "World Domination Plot #87, it is listed under "very important" along with the raising of Atlantis from the bottom of the ocean~!"**

**Riv: I like you. Enthusiasm.**

**Tyler: What is this "enthusiasm"? You crazy girl. *tousles Riv's hair***

**Riv: UAAAAH! THE FOURTH WALL BE BROKEN!**

**Monika: Oh god, please don't tell me this is a fanfi-**

**Everyone: EVERYBODY, RUN TO THE PORTAL! ESCAPE TO THE REAL WORLD!**

**Riv: ...I feel lonely. Anyone want to join me in this realm? Leave me a review~! I really like reviews~! They make me feel happy in this depressing world...**


	17. Chapter 17: Sorry

**Riv: Dear all of my lovely friends that exist upon this subspace of the internet: I am terribly sorry to inform you that I am taking a temporary leave of absence from ****When the Snow Falls****. Under the conditions that I am currently living in, I cannot continue this series. As you may have inferred from my work, I am extremely obsessive compulsive. Recently, I have done a dreaded thing in looking back upon the past chapters of this story. What I have found frightened me. **

**Akane: What was it?**

**Riv: A total lack of planning on my part. I was writing this story as the ideas came into my mind, and the things that I have realized are as follows: 1-Amanet should have never existed; she was an excuse. 2-It should have been AkanexBakura rather than AkanexRyou. 3-**

**Ryou: I'm really depressed now. Thanks a lot Riv.**

**Akane: *hugs* It's alright. Riv will fix this all somehow.**

**Riv: DON'T INTERRUPT ME YOU ANNOYING VOICES! Err... *ahem* 3-I just fucked things up in general. I will leave this series up, but I may end up starting a new one with my edits. Please put me on author alert just in case that happens. But I'm still tentative on whether or not to do that, or just start a new yaoi or something. It will be dependent on a coin toss or dice roll-**

**Yami: GO DICE ROLL!**

**Riv: STOP. FUCKING. INTERRUPTING MEEEEE! *rips his head off***

**Yuugi: NOOOOOO! MOU HITORI NO BOKU!**

**Riv: That will teach you. Anyhow, I hope that you understand and forgive me. I JUST CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE~~!**


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